40,000 birds to be culled in Tripura

Agartala, Apr 8: About 40,000 birds will be culled in Tripura today after the presence of bird flu was confirmed in the Kamalpur sub-division of the state.

Principal Secretary to the Government of Tripura U. Venkateswarlu said that blood samples of dead birds from the two villages of this sub-division were tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. According to the Animal Resource Development sources, the culling operations are being carried out from today with the help of 15 rapid action teams. The culling is likely to be completed in three days. The area of infection has been sealed and no movement, to and fro, of poultry and poultry products is being allowed.

The local administration, in association with veterinary authorities, have already started holding meetings in the area to sensitise the villagers about the disease.

Recently, panic had gripped Metela, a remote village of West Bengal's Bhirbum District after the discovery of hundreds of dead poultry in a fresh outbreak of bird flu in the region.

The UN agency Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had warned the Government that the dreaded disease could resurface again and also asked that intensive surveillance in high-risk areas be maintained.

ANI