150 birds culled in Hisar to prevent avian flu spread

Hisar/New Delhi, November 4

Around 150 ducks were culled in Hisar district of Haryana on Friday to prevent spread of bird flu after samples of dead birds from a local resort tested positive for avian influenza.

The Centre also asked the Haryana government to take steps to control bird flu after the samples of ducks sent from a Haryana Tourism resort at Hisar were found positive.

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“Around 150 ducks have been culled today. Earlier, 11 birds were found dead at lake and samples of dead birds were tested positive for bird flu," a district official said.

"We are on high alert," Hisar Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Gajraj said and added that all precautionary measures are being taken to prevent spread of virus.

Entry to the Blue Bird tourist complex has been restricted, he said further.

Meanwhile, the Union Agriculture Ministry in a statement said, "The samples sent from domestic ducks at Blue Bird Restaurant of Haryana Tourism in Hisar, Haryana, to NIHSAD, Bhopal on November 2 have been found positive for H5N8 AI virus.

"The state government of Haryana has been requested to initiate control and containment operation as per action plan."

The 'Action Plan of Animal Husbandry for Preparedness, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza' was released by the Centre in 2015.

Giving an update on bird flu situation in various parts of the country, the Centre said that the control and containment operations are being carried out at various epicenters in Kerala.

"A video conferencing was conducted by this Department on November 2 to review the situation in Kerala and preparedness of the neighboring states namely Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," the statement said.

There is no further report of mortality from any part of Punjab where post operation surveillance is going on.

In Delhi, the Centre said that six ducks at Madipur Lake reportedly died on November 3.

"The samples have been collected by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Delhi. There is no report of mortality from any other part of Delhi. The Delhi government has carried out disinfection process at all the affected sites as per Action Plan on Avian Influenza," the statement said.

There is no further report of mortality from Gwalior or any other part of Madhya Pradesh too. — PTI