100,000 more birds culled as virus spreads

MUMBAI: The Bhopal-based central laboratory for bird flu testing, Icar-national Institute of High-security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), on Tuesday confirmed avian influenza deaths in 12 more poultry farms in Navapur in Nandurbar district, taking the number of affected poultry farms to 16.

On Tuesday, the state culled around 100,000 lakh poultry birds in Navapur, in addition to the 137,305 poultry birds culled till Monday, taking the count to nearly 238,000. The state recorded 1,291 bird deaths on Tuesday, of which 1,266 are poultry birds. The total number of bird deaths caused by avian influenza has risen to 41,504. On Tuesday, NIHSAD confirmed the H5N8 strain was the cause of death in poultry in Navapur, said officials from the state animal husbandry department. “We have received reports of confirmation of bird flu from ICAR-NIHSAD for 12 other poultry farms. Sample reports of four farms were received on Monday and eight on Tuesday that have confirmed avian influenza,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.

The official said 100,000 poultry birds were culled in Navapur on Tuesday. Culling is done within a one-kilometre radius of the affected poultry farm and is started only after receiving a confirmation from NIHSAD. “We are trying to complete the culling process as early as possible because the virus is spreading. The district administration has been directed to survey the affected poultry farms to determine the total number of birds to be culled after fresh confirmation reports,” said the official.

The number of poultry birds to be culled in Navapur may go up close to half a million, officials said. Navapur is known for raising egg-laying poultry birds for commercial production and has 27 such poultry farms. A first information report has been lodged against the tehsildar for allegedly concealing suspicious poultry deaths under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animal Act 2009.