Bird flu has been detected again in three places of Kathmandu valley. According to the Department of Livestock Services, bird flu has been confirmed in Ward No. 4 and 9 of Kirtipur Municipality and Ward No. 2 of Chandragiri Municipality.
According to Dr Chandra Dhakal, Information Officer of the Department of Livestock Services, after a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was conducted on the samples at the Central Veterinary Laboratory it was ascertained that the turkeys being raised by the local farmers were infected with bird flu.
Dhakal also informed that to immediately control and stop the spread of the contagion concerned authorities of various livestock organisations and of local and provincial levels were mobilised on Wednesday itself. He said that birds being raised at homes along with other objects in the infected areas that could spread the infection were also destroyed.
As per Dhakal, 535 turkeys, 492 chickens, 76 quails and 20 ducks have been culled. Similarly, 198 units of eggs and 900 kg of animal feed were also destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has urged all concerned to get a health test done of all the birds and livestock commodities before transporting them from one place to another. It has also asked livestock farmers to adopt all necessary health safety measures while raising livestock and to disinfect the farms on a regular basis.
The ministry has also requested people not to allow birds kept at homes to come in contact with wild birds. Furthermore, it has urged people to immediately notify the nearest livestock service office if they notice livestock falling ill or dying in an unnatural manner. It has also asked people to keep their chickens and ducks in an enclosure.
Prior to these latest incidents, bird flu had been detected in chickens and turkeys being raised in Tarakeshwor of Kathmandu and Nakkhu of Lalitpur.
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