January 28, 2008

Bird flu detected in northwestern Bangladesh, over 1,300 fowls culled

Bangladesh's Dinajpur district reports of bird flu infection as infected districts now totals 29.

Over 1,305 chickens and ducks were culled and 377 eggs destroyed in Dinajpur district on Saturday (January 26, 2008).

Samples of dead chickens from Khod Shibpur village in Birol sub-district were collected and sent for laboratory tests on Wednesday (January 23, 2008). Bird flu was detected in the samples, and the chickens and eggs were promptly buried underground in a one-km area of the village.

Special assistant to the chief adviser of the caretaker government, Manik Lal Samaddar, said on Sunday (January 27, 2008) that the bird flu has so far affected more than 326,000 chickens in 29 out of Bangladesh's 64 districts and that all affected chickens from 93 poultry farms have been culled.
 

Manik said the livestock department is monitoring the situation and taking prompt action against the spread of the bird flu in both government and private poultry farms.

The bird flu virus was first detected in a poultry farm near capital Dhaka in March last year.