Dist Admn denies outbreak of Avian Influenza

Kozhikode, Feb 22 (UNI) Ruling out outbreak of bird flu in Kozhikode district, a senior Health Department official here today said the reported deaths of some birds in a poultry farm at Elathur were not because of Avian Influenza.

While confirming the death of 25 pigeons at a farm in Elathur beach in the last one and a half months, Deputy Director Animal Husbandary P P Kanaran, who visited the farm, said clinical symptoms indicated they died of 'Newcastle' disease, common among birds.

However, samples had been collected and steps were being taken to send it to the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory, Bhopal, for confirmation.

Meanwhile, Additional District Magistrate P Koyakutty said the Animal Husbandry Department had been directed to take all necessary steps in the wake of outbreak of the disease in Maharashtra.

Stating that there was no need to panic, he said a Committee, headed by District Collector Rachana Shah, had been formed to monitor or detect the deadly disease.

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