Poultry bird samples from DGHC sent for test to Bhopal

Darjeeling, May 27 (UNI) Samples of poultry birds, suspected to have died of bird flu, were sent to Bhopal's High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory today.

Darjeeling Hill Council Animal Husbandry Director Milan Halder said, ''Looking at the symptoms that these dead birds suffered in Sukhiyapokti block, it may be said that they died of avian influenza. However, we can only confirm after the test results arrive,'' he added.

He said culling operations would begin after the results come in.

''Unlike the cases of bird deaths in Siliguri, 67 birds that died in the hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling show that the disease still exists in these areas and the situation is fast deteriorating.'' Fresh ban has been issued on poultry products in the hill sub-divisions of the district, North Bengal Animal Husbandry Joint Director Lakshminarayan Banerjee said.

Meanwhile, culling operations have been completed in Pulbazar-Bijonbari block, with at least 20,000 chickens being culled so far.

However, cases of poultry bird deaths detected in Siliguri, in Ward 4 in the last two or three days, should be tested negative for bird flu as initial examiation proved so, Mr Banerjee said, adding that final results from Bhopal will however confirm.

UNI XC LL RL AS1807