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Poultry ban in Sunsari

KATHMANDU, FEB 08 -
Authorities on Wednesday said bird flu virus was not detected in the dead chickens in Satherjhora-8, around 15 km south-west of the two bird flu outbreak sites in Sunsari. It was reportedly claimed that around 500 chickens had died in the past three days in the Satherjhora area from an unknown disease.

“Samples of dead chickens sent to the Regional Laboratory, Biratnagar, have confirmed that the death of the chickens was due to worms, not bird flu,” Chineshwor Meheta, the Animal Health Technician at the District Veterinary Office, said.

Meanwhile, authorities have banned the sale of poultry for three days in Sunsari district, which come into effect from Thursday. Mahi Narayan Chaudhari, the chief of the District Veterinary Office, said the move was aimed at controlling the infection and spread of the bird flu virus.

On Sunday, the government confirmed outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu at the Pathibhara Poultry Farm and the PK Poultry Farm and Suppliers in the district.

Similarly, the rapid response team of the Eastern Regional Veterinary Health Directorate and the District Veterinary Office on Wednesday finished spraying disinfectants and buried chicken faeces and fodder at the Pathibhara farm.

“We have started keeping an eye on the second coop of the PK Poultry Suppliers at Itahari-6, which was 50 meters away from the chickens of the coop which had died due to bird flu,” Chaudhari said.

Also, authorities in Ilam and Panchthar districts on Wednesday slaughtered 16 chickens and five pigeons which were hidden by the people of Ghurbise Panchami, the bird flu site in Ilam and also an area along the border of the two districts.

Authorities destroyed a total of 227 chickens, 463 eggs and seven pigeons on Monday and Tuesday there.



(With inputs from Biplav Bhattarai, Ilam, and Labadev Dhungana, Panchthar)


Posted on: 2012-02-09 09:14

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