Over 25,000 birds killed after bird flu cases found in Thane, Palghar: Maharashtra minister Sunil Kedar
India Today
The Maharashtra government killed over 25,000 birds in one km radius of infection hotspots in Thane and Palghar districts, days after cases of bird flu were found, state animal husbandry minister Sunil Kedar said on Tuesday.
Days after cases of bird flu (avian influenza) were found in some birds in Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra, the state government made a decision to kill over 25,000 birds in one km radius of infection hotspots in both districts.
Maharashtra Animal Husbandry Minister Sunil Kedar on Tuesday said that labourers working in the infected farms have been isolated.
"Cases of Bird-Flu were found in some birds in Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra, after which the decision to kill over 25,000 birds in a 1km radius of infection hotspots in both districts was taken. Labourers working in farms are also isolated," Kedar was quoted as saying by ANI.
Last week, in the Velholi area of Shahpur in Thane district, over 300 chickens were found dead. Immediately, officials swung into action and sent the samples to the Pune lab. The report came positive for bird flu.
It was only after that the collector ordered the killing of over 25,000 chickens and destroying all the eggs.
Soon, the infection was detected among birds at a poultry farm in Vasai-Virar region of its neighbouring Palghar district.
Palghar's district veterinary officer, Dr Prashant Kamble, had said that some birds at the poultry farm died, after which their samples were sent for testing. The test results confirmed that the birds were infected with the H5N1 virus.
