Maha: 302 birds found dead in a day, samples sent for testing

Amid the avian influenza scare,302 birds, including 269 from poultry, were found dead inparts of Maharashtra in a single day, the authorities said onSunday.

These birds were found dead on Saturday, an officialrelease issued here said.

Of them, as many as 175 birds were found dead inAurangabad, 71 in Ahmednagar, 16 in Beed and seven inOsmanabad, it said.

Their samples are being sent to the NationalInstitute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal andDisease Investigation Section, Pune for testing.

The state has recorded the death of 19,827 birds tillnow since January 8, the release said.

The outbreak of bird flu has been reported inmigratory birds in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Delhi,Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and MadhyaPradesh. Similarly, test results of samples from some of theareas in Maharashtra have found positive, it added.

The samples of dead poultry birds found in Mahape andGhansoli in Thane district tested positive for avian influenzaas per the test results received on Saturday, the releasesaid.

Wherever the poultry birds and ducks tested positivefor the infection, other such birds, eggs, poultry feed anddroppings within the one km radius of the affected poultryfarm, have been scientifically destroyed, it said.

So far, 71,883 poultry birds, 44,146 eggs and 63,339kg poultry feed from the infected areas have been destroyed.

The Maharashtra government has sanctioned acompensation package for culling of poultry and other birds,eggs and poultry feed within one km radius of the infectedarea under the Bird Flu Disease Control Programme.

Compensation is being distributed to the poultryfarmers in the infected zone, where the culling of poultrybirds and disposal of eggs and poultry feed has been done.

In order to contain the incidence of bird flu withoutdelay, the state government has given the powers to all thedistrict collectors under the Prevention And Control ofInfectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009, forthe prevention, control and eradication of avian influenza,the release said.

The government urged the poultry farmers to followstrict bio-security measures. Tthe chicken shop operators havebeen directed to use gloves, masks covering mouth and nose,stringent hygiene practices in the shop and to maintain socialphysical distancing norms.

The government has also appealed to people not to stopconsumption of chicken and eggs due to rumours andmisconceptions.