The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

A number of crows were found dead at the Ramna Park in the city yesterday triggering a fear of a pandemic of bird flu in the capital.

Meanwhile, around 50,000 more poultry were culled countrywide yesterday to combat a severe outbreak of bird flu that continues to spread while neighbouring country has stepped up similar efforts.

The Livestock Department has taken up special measures for protecting the poultry farms from the infection of avian influenza, virus of bird flu.

The birds were killed near Dhaka as the deadly H5N1 strain spread to a new district. The virus is now present in 35 out of 64 districts in the country, said officials of the Livestock Department.

Biddyut Kumar Das, Scientific Officer of Livestock Department, said, "On Sunday, the flu was detected in a 10 new farms yesterday, forcing the Livestock Department to slaughter all birds in the area."

Efforts to slaughter in the western Kushtia would continue today (Monday), he said and adding, "The situation is not good. There is no sign of improvement."

Nearly 50,000 birds were slaughtered yesterday in the single biggest cull since the deadly virus was detected on a farm near Dhaka in February last year, according the Livestock Department.

No human infection has been reported in the country since the latest outbreak began last month. But a health official said nearly 800 farmers had been given anti-viral drugs as a precaution.

The government has also ordered major hospitals to set up isolation units.

Around 23,500 domestic and poultry fowls were culled in Narsingdi and Jhenidah yesterday after detection of bird flu.

Our Narsingdi correspondent said 22,000 chickens of 11 poultry farms were culled and buried at Raipura upazila yesterday in presence of Deputy Commissioner Md Jillar Rahman.

Some 500 chickens died in the poultry farm of Khorshed Miah of Bataria village of the upazila friday night. Bird flu was detected after examining the smaples of dead chickens in Savar Livestock Research Centre.

In Jhenidah, about 1,500 domestic fowls were culled in Moheshpur upazila yesterday. Livestock officials collected the chickens, ducks and pigeons from Patibeela, Boga and Baropur of the upazila.

In Chittagong, 11,000 domestic fowls were culled yesterday night after detection of bird flu.

In Rajshahi, the avian influenza prevention and coordination committee is intensifying inter-departmental coordination and creating awareness at the poultry bird farmers level to check bird flu.

As the frontier areas are considered as the most vulnerable for bird flu infection, Bangladesh Riffles (BDR) and other law enforcing agencies have stepped up effective measures to stop smuggling of chicks and eggs into the country from neighbouring India.

All poultry hatcheries in Rajshahi division were brought under the close supervision and monitoring network of the Department of Livestock. Officers and employees of the department as well as police personnel are also being given training on checking bird flu.

Our Gaibandha correspondent said Director General of Department of Livestock Services Sunil Chandra Ghosh said adequate precautionary measures including spraying of anti virus and raising public awareness have been taken to prevent bird flu in the country.

Animal health worker will be appointed very soon in the bird flu affected four upazilas-Gaibandha sadar, Gobindaganj, Sundarganj and Sadullapur - and other parts of the country in order to intensify the preventive measures of bird flu as the poultry industry is a perspective sector in the country.

He said while speaking at a view exchange meeting on bird flu at the office of Gobindaganj upazila livestock officer on Saturday as chief guest.