Serum samples of dead chickens to be sent to labs

Aizawl, Aug 4 (UNI) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary officials here today said serum samples of chickens that died under mysterious circumstances would be rushed to Kolkata and Bhopal for laboratory tests.

The department's Disease Investigation Officer Saihlira said the serum samples were collected from Sangau area in southern Mizoram which borders bird flu-hit Bangladesh. Recently, about 100 chickens of the area had died suddenly.

''The samples would be sent to the regional disease diagnostic laboratory at Kolkata and animal disease laboratory at Bhopal,'' Dr Saihlira said.

Reports of chicken deaths were also received from Ngopa area bordering Manipur, which however, were found to have been caused by consumption of rat-poison by the birds.

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Deputy Director (Epidemic) Hmarkunga said, ''The sudden deaths of about 30 chickens in Ngopa area on July 26 and 27 was most probably caused by consumption of carelessly disposed rat-poison.'' Dr Saihlira, along with veterinary surgeon R Malsawma, visited the bird flu-affected areas in Manipur on July 30 to supervise the ongoing culling opearations.

Being declared the ''most dangerous state'' because of its location in between bird flu-affected Bangladesh and Manipur, all borders in Mizoram had been sealed against import of chickens and pigs.

Despite the vets' assurance that Mizoram was free of the dreaded avian influenza so far, people in Aizawl had begun to abstain from eating chicken and pork.

UNI