Culling of birds begin in Nepal

Kathmandu, Feb 23 (ANI): Nepal Government has started culling of poultry and poultry products in the bird flu affected of area of Sharanamati in Jhapa district.

According to Nepalnews, five Rapid Response Teams (RRT) led by the Director of Livestock Services started culling the birds in the area.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has deployed 50 technicians to the affected area to control the deadly H5N1 virus.

Two RRTs have started culling chickens from the Indian border.

Hari Dahal, a spokesperson of the ministry said, "So far 865 chickens and sic ducks have been killed and 140 eggs have been destroyed. It is estimated that there are about 9000 chickens in the area.

The government has also banned the transportation of poultry products throughout the country.

The first bird flu outbreak was confirmed in Kakarbhitta on January 16. The government had killed 28,000 chickens in the area to control the virus.

Earlier, Agriculture Minister Jayprakash Gupta had asked the international community and donor agencies to provide help to Nepal to fight the disease.

He issued strict instructions to officials working at the Indo-Nepal border check points to quarantine border areas and pay special attention to their task. (ANI)