Bird flu in poultry farms: Odisha to cull chickens in and around agri tech university

Bhubaneswar, Jan 28: The state government is all set to start culling of chicken after confirmation of avian influenza or bird flu in the poultry farms of the Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) located here, official sources said.

The culling will be conducted within one kilometre of the OUAT poultry farm located inside the campus of the College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry at Siripur locality.

"We had sent the blood sample of the birds to the High-Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal and these were tested positive to the H5N1 virus," said Prof Susen Panda of the OUAT. An official of the Fisheries and Animal Resources department said, "All the poultry birds within one km radius of the infected site will be culled and disposed of by deep burial method with application of disinfectants like lime and bleaching powder."

Panda said the blood sample was sent to for the test to the HSADL following unusual death of chicken in the poultry farm. "So far, about 1500 birds have died in the farm and they were buried deep inside the ground," Prof Panda said adding that the state government would undertake culling procedure after confirmation of the bird flu in the state capital.

The OAUT authorities have sealed the poultry farm which houses above 15,000 chickens. The government also appealed people not to panic over the bird flu outbreak as all measures were being taken for its control. Meanwhile, sources said, the authorities of the Nandankanan Zoo located at the outskirt of the state capital have decided to close the Bird Park from Tuesday in view of the avian influenza outbreak.