The Centre on Tuesday said poultry deaths due to bird flu in West Bengal had registered a decline signalling that the virus was being contained.

"It is a fact that the natural disease mortality has declined in West Bengal due to bird flu. Lesser number of birds are dying due to the disease," Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said.

"We are confident that we would be able to contain the disease," he said.

Expressing satisfaction with the steps being taken by the West Bengal government to cope with the outbreak, Ramadoss said all the requests for monetary and other help from the state government have been accepted.

Replying to questions on the losses suffered by the poultry industry due to the outbreak, Union animal husbandry secretary Pradeep Kumar said, as of now, four countries - Nepal, Bhutan, Oman and Qatar - have banned the import of poultry from India.

The government is also exploring a compensation package for the poultry industry, he said.

On the compensation being given to farmers whose poultry was being culled, he said, "As of now, the West Bengal government has not approached us for any increase in the compensation amount".