Third outbreak of birdflu hits Jalgaon; 3 lakh birds to be culled

Jalgaon, Apr 6 (UNI) A day after slaughtering 2.40 lakh chickens over a week following the second outbreak of bird flu in 288 villages of the district in northern Maharashtra, authorities have decided to cull over 3 lakh more birds in the wake of confirmation of the third outbreak of the deadly disease among the poultry livestock in another 14 villages.

Emerging from a meeting here late this evening after the state government notified the third outbreak of avian flu caused by H5N1 virus, District Collector Vijay Singhal told UNI culling of 3.05 lakh layers would begin tomorrow in 480 villages located in a 10 km radius of the affected 14 villages. He said culling would be first undertaken in 55 villages in the range of 3 kms and then extended in the remaining 425 villages in the 3-10 km range. He said culling would be preceded by digging of trenches in which the killed birds would be buried, adding machinery is being sent to the targeted area to begin the task tomorrow.

The Collector identified the 14 affected villages as Nandra, Pachora, Wadli, Muktainagar, Salebardi, Khamkheda, Chalisgaon, Sakri, Nandgaon, Mehunbare, Mehndi, Pimpri, Vidwa and Bodade, adding these villages are scattered in 9 of the total 15 tahsils of Jalgaon district.

The second outbreak of the flu was confirmed on March 28 when samples of dead birds from Badgaon, Utar, Parora, Varad, Paldhi and Erandol had tested positive for the deadly virus.

Earlier, 95,000 birds were killed in 174 villages when the first outbreak was confirmed on March 14.

More than three lakh birds had to be slaughtered in Navapur in Nandurbar district, also in northern Maharashtra, when India's first outbreak of the avian flu occured on February 18.

UNI XR-SA PA BS2210