Gujarat: Bird flu detected in two dead lapwings in Junagadh

Gujarat on Friday recorded itsfirst confirmed cases of bird flu infection after samples oftwo dead birds from Junagadh district tested positive, anofficial said.The two birds, lapwings, had been rescued on January 3from an area near Kharo Dam in Manavadar tehsil of thedistrict, but they later died due to illness, said Dr D DPanera, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry division, Junagadh.We sent the carcasses to a laboratory in Bhopal.

Gujarat on Friday recorded itsfirst confirmed cases of bird flu infection after samples oftwo dead birds from Junagadh district tested positive, anofficial said.

The two birds, lapwings, had been rescued on January 3from an area near Kharo Dam in Manavadar tehsil of thedistrict, but they later died due to illness, said Dr D DPanera, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry division, Junagadh.

''We sent the carcasses to a laboratory in Bhopal. Ilearnt today that the presence of bird flu virus was found inthese carcasses. We will disinfect the area near the dam andtake all precautionary steps as per protocol,'' he said.

The situation was fully under control as no otherbird, including poultry birds, had died an ''unnatural orsudden death'' since January 4 in the district, he said.

A total of 53 birds, including lapwings and ducks,were found dead near the dam on the night of January 2, and aday later, four sick birds were rescued from the same area.

When two of them died, authorities sent carcassesto Bhopal for a detailed analysis.

The Centre earlier in the day said bird flu has beenconfirmed so far in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat.

The state government had sounded an alert on January 5about bird flu and instructed officials to take necessarysteps.

In the last three days, four crows each were founddead in Surat and near Modhera Sun Temple in Mehsana but thecause of death is not clear yet, officials said.