December 25, 2008

Bangladesh continues fight against bird flu

Bangladesh has slaughtered nearly 10,000 birds in five districts as authorities struggle to contain the disease.

Poultry in the northern district of Kurigam have tested positive for the virulent H5N1 bird flu virus strain. The district is the fifth to report the virus since bird flu re-emerged in Bangladesh in October.

Bangladesh officials said they are stepping up monitoring and preventative measures. Authorities are also continuing culling operations in response to bird flu outbreaks in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh culled more than one million birds after bird flu was detected in nearly 50 of the country's 64 districts.