Guj: Samples of 10 dead poultry birds test positive for avian flu

Samples of 10 deadpoultry birds from Dolasa village in Gujarat's Gir Somnathdistrict have tested positive for avian influenza, officialssaid on Saturday.

This is the first case in Gujarat where poultrybirds have tested positive for the infection, an official fromthe state animal husbandry department said.

Earlier, samples of some wild birds had testedpositive for the flu in few districts of the state.

''Ten samples of poultry birds (chicken) testedpositive for avian influenza, following which 220 birds inthree backyard farms in the village were culled,'' deputydirector of animal husbandry at Gir Somnath, D M Parmar, said.

The district collector issued a notificationrestricting activities in one km radius of the site from wherethe carcasses of infected birds were recovered.

Local authorities restricted the movement of poultryproducts from the affected area as one of the measures tocontain the spread of the infection.

Other districts of Gujarat that have reportedconfirmed bird flu cases are Junagadh, Valsad, Surat, andVadodara. In these districts, samples of wild birds had testedpositive for avian influenza.