Nearly 100 Migratory Birds Found Dead Amid Second Wave Of Bird Flu In Himachal

Chief Wildlife Warden Archana Sharma said the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal has confirmed the presence of H5N8 avian influenza among the samples of the dead birds.

Around 100 migratory birds have been found dead in Pong Dam Lake in the last two weeks after the outbreak of a second wave of bird flu in Himachal Pradesh, wildlife officials said today. Bird flu had first been confirmed among migratory water-birds at Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary in early January that left around 5,000 birds dead in a month. It was contained in early February but has now resurfaced since late March beginning with the discovery of a dozen bird carcasses in the sanctuary on March 25, they added. Chief Wildlife Warden Archana Sharma said the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal has confirmed the presence of H5N8 avian influenza among the samples of the dead birds. This strain is different from the previous outbreak, when H5N1 had been detected among the migratory birds, she said adding that both these strains are highly pathogenic.