March 3, 2009
Nepal confirms Newcastle disease in poultry deaths
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MAC) has said the death of chickens in three poultry farms in Morang, eastern Nepal, was caused by Newcastle disease and not due to bird flu.
According to MAC spokesperson Hari Dahal, samples brought from Morang tested negative to bird flu when tested at Central Animal Disease Investigation Laboratory in Kathmandu, instead it was found the chickens died of Newcastle disease.
Dahal said Newcastle kills many chickens in Nepal every year, adding that it kills over 90 per cent of the chickens in a farm once it attacks.
About 1,000 chickens belonging to two farmers in Tankisinwari had died on Friday (Feb 27) and Saturday (Feb 28), making panicked farmers to request the government to investigate on the cause immediately.
Bird flu was spotted in Sharanamati village development committee area of Jhapa two weeks ago and in Kakarbhitta of the same district about two months ago.
