KATHMANDU, Feb 11: Following confirmation of H5N1virus (avian flu) in a poultry farm owned by one Subarna Basnet of Manamaiju VDC-1 Nepaltar, the District Veterinary Clinic, Kathmandu on Monday culled 6,060 chickens.
In the last three days over 11,000 chickens have been culled after the virus was confirmed in other farms, the Directorate of Animal Health (DoAH), said.
According to the DoAH, a rapid response team that comprises vets and technicians also destroyed 950 kg of chicken feed stored in the farm. Out of the 7,500 chickens in the farm, the remaining 1,440 had already died due to the virus. Senior veterinarian at DoAH Dr Narayan Prasad Ghimire said that it was sixth outbreak in the last one-and-a-half- months. He said that the rapid response team has been working to complete the first phase disinfection by the evening.
Ghimire said that vets did not have to struggle to pursuade the farmer into allowing the cull. On Sunday, DoAH-deployed rapid response team had culled 2,753 chickens at the poultry farm of Dharmaraj Pandit in Nayapati VDC after the confirmation of the virus. The DoAH officials had to seek help of police to cull the chickens there. Likewise, on Saturday, the authorities culled 2,610 chickens and 1,000 kg of chicken feed at Kishior Tandukar´s poultry farm at Jitpurfedi- 1 of the district after confirmation of bird flu.
The Central Animal Health Laboratory under DoAH had confirmed all infection after examination of dead chickens. The DoAH said that they have also upped surveillance in the Valley following the confirmation of the disease. It has also urged poultry farmers to immediately inform vets if chickens started to die suddenly.
In December last year, the disease was confirmed in a poultry farm at Ramkot and Sitapaila VDCs of the district. The virus was detected in poultry farms in Dhading and Nuwakot, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.
Meanwhile, the DoAH has said that people can consume chicken and eggs without any hesitation as all the infected chickens have been culled. But the office has asked the people to properly cook the chicken before eating.
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