Bird Flu: Thousands of chickens culled in Bangalore

Bangalore: Over 19,000 chicken were today culled and disposed at the Central Poultry Development Organisation at Hesaraghtta here, where avian influenza had claimed over 3,600 turkeys over the last fortnight, officials said. “As many as 19,154 chicken (out of 19,235 chicken) at CPDO have been culled and disposed as per the guidelines in the action plan (revised) 2012,” Animal Husbandry Secretary Arvind Ramachandra Jannu told PTI. Rapid response teams are involved in culling and disposal of remaining chicken, 13,673 ducks, 369 emu birds and sanitisation of 52 poultry sheds at CPDO Farm, Jannu said. [caption id=“attachment_508758” align=“alignleft” width=“450”]  Reuters[/caption] Six teams are involved in surveillance work in 10 km of surveillance zone and have submitted 175 samples to laboratory for investigation, Jannu said. No unusual death of birds are noticed in the surveillance zone or in any part of the state, he said. In view of confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in chicken unit, the central government on October 29, decided to cull all the birds within the radius of one km from the epicentre–the CPDO farm. The government had notified the outbreak of the influenza in turkeys at CPDO on October 25. Action has been initiated for control and eradication of avian influenza, he said. Sixty-eight villages in the 10 km radius from the turkey unit of CPDO had been identified as a surveillance zone and disease surveillance process has been activated. Serum and cloacal samples have been collected and submitted for laboratory investigation, Jannu said. PTI