Bird Flu Detected In Central India, Culling Of Birds Starts
Bernama, 29 Mar 2006

BHOPAL, March 29 (Bernama) -- Bird flu was detected in Madhya Pradesh in Central India Tuesday prompting government to declare that 6637 chicken in 10 km radius surveillance zone of Ichhapur town in Burhanpur district will be culled.

Culling birds in 23 villages barely five kilometre from infected area in Jalgaon district in West India's Maharashtra, will start Wednesday, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported quoting Animah Husbandry Minister Ramakant Tiwari as saying to reporters.

Transportation of poultry products and movement of people were banned in the area as prohibitory orders under section 144 clamped following the federal government's confirmation of avian influenza, he said.

The government had instructed to cull all birds in alert and surveillance zone after samples sent to city-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) tested positive.

Contingency plans and required protocol  have  been  activated as over

100-member veterinary team comprising 23 units of rapid response teams rushed to the district, Tiwari said.

Suspicious of bird flu in Ichhapur following deaths of 180 chicken on March 15, the administration had collected information about all poultry farms including backyard poultries where the flu was detected.

Staffs dealing with the culling operations have been given preventive doses of Tamiflu.-- BERNAMA