The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Around 22,000 chickens of eight poultry farms were culled in Savar and more than 1,600 domestic fowls were culled in Gopalganj yesterday after the detection of Avian Influenza, virus of bird flu.

Another case of bird flu was detected in a dead crow in Pathantuli in Chittagong.

In Savar, livestock officials conducted the culling operation with the help of joint forces. As some chickens of Rahman poultry farm of Kuturia at Ashulia died on Wednesday the fram owner sent the sample of dead chickens to Livestock Research centre in the upazila.

As the disease was detected, 1,550 chickens of the farm were culled on Friday night.

Livestock authority culled yesterday around 22,000 chickens of eight other farms located within one kilometre of Rahman poultry. Those included 7,800 chickens of Dipa poultry, 2,500 of SA poultry, 3,135 of Munnu and Muku poultry, 2,030 of Haji poultry, 2,200 of Tasmina poultry, 1,100 of Salam poultry, 1,400 of Zubair poultry and 1,150 of Happy poultry.

In Gopalganj, our correspondent said two officials of the local veterinary hospital examined the samples of the chickens of the farm of one M Abu Hossain of Thanapara Friday night and detected avian influenza, virus of bird flu.

The livestock officials with the help of district and police administrations conducted a drive in 208 homesteads of the area from Friday midnight to 5:00am yesterday.

During the drive, some 762 chickens, 524 pigeons and 316 ducks were culled and buried underneath the ground.

Meanwhile, the district administration yesterday decided to cull some 7,000 chickens in Shailkupa upazila headquarters in Jhenaidah district after detection of bird flu.

In Chittagong, the discovery prompted an emergency meeting of senior officials from district administration of Chittagong, Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and district livestock office yesterday to draw out prevention measures.

The entry of poultry and eggs from outside the district has been strictly controlled and two check posts have been set up at Shubhapur Bridge and Mirersarai police station to spray disinfectant.

The district administration and CCC have opened control rooms in addition to spraying 'Vicron' in high-risk markets of the port city everyday.

Ashraf Shamim, Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong, said, "Bird flu has been found in a crow, but the virus has not been found in any chicken or eggs anywhere in the district."

The district administration had directed upazila officers to ensure the cleanliness of markets and spray disinfectant in poultry retailers' shops, he said.

Initiatives have also been taken to monitor all poultry farms and raise awareness among the workers and owners.

Khairul Alam, Chief Executive Officer of CCC, said the cleanliness drive had been intensified in the city from yesterday and adding, "Not only poultry shops, but also market refuse dumps are being sprayed. Ward commissioners are supervising the work."

Meanwhile, Abdul Mannan, Chittagong district livestock officer, confirmed that no bird flu virus had yet been detected in any chicken or duck in Chittagong.

Chittagong has no laboratory to test for the virus, he said and adding, "Specimens have to be sent to FDIL in Feni for testing. It takes a few days to get a report back from them."

"Only the dead crow found in Pathantuli had been sent for testing The Directorate of Livestock has the necessary vaccines and medicines to meet any epidemic including bird flu," said the district livestock officer.