February 12, 2008

West Bengal's poultry culling nears completion
 

West Bengal's culling operations due to bird flu are close to completion as no fresh mortality of poultry is reported from the state.

Cumulative mortality of poultry remains at 133,135, which has been reported from bird flu affected districts in West Bengal, said the Union Animal Husbandry Department.

The department added that there are no further reports of any positive sample test from the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) from all parts of India.

West Bengal has completed the culling of 49,321 birds, taking the cumulative figured of culled birds to 3.78 million. The revised culling target amount is 3.85 million.

Meanwhile, preventive culling in Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts of Assam has been completed with cleaning operations currently underway.

In Bihar, 95,270 birds have been culled and operations are scheduled to begin on February 14, 2008, in Jharkhand.