Tsimasham, Chukha -Culling underway in affected poultry farms #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

Culling underway in affected poultry farms

Jan 06, 2012

Bird Flu Outbreak: By yesterday evening, 395 chickens and 447 eggs were culled after the recent outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in Tsimasham, Chukha on December 31, last year.
On January 4, a total of 330 birds and 360 eggs in four poultry farms were culled.
Last evening, they culled the remaining 65 birds and 87 eggs.
The culling began, following a confirmation of an outbreak by the national centre for animal health in Serbithang, Thimphu.
Department of livestock’s Dr Tashi Dorji said it would be officially declared as an outbreak after the ministry receives a confirmation from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
An outbreak was suspected when 87 birds in a backyard farm of Lhamo died between December 30 and 31 in Tsimasham.
“We’re culling only those birds, whose farms are located nearest to Lhamo’s poultry farm, because the risk of them being infected is high,” Dr Tashi Dorji said. “We’re still investigating other farms.”
A team, comprising officials from the livestock department, health, police and BAFRA, visited six farms on January 4. They declared 519 birds safe from the flu.
Dr Tashi Dorji said they have sprayed disinfectant on all the coops, instead of destroying them like before. “If we destroy the coops, the compensation amount becomes too expensive,” he said. “The disinfected coops are safe for human.”
There are so far no reports of any human being infected with the virus. “Lhamo is still under observation,” Dr Tashi Dorji said.
Contact with pigeons is suspected to have caused the outbreak. “The poultry must have come in contact with pigeons to feed on rice,” Dr Tashi Dorji said. “And pigeons are wild birds that carries such virus.”
The detailed report from Bhopal will also confirm the source of infection, while the ministry is now working on the compensation that needs to be paid to the owners of culled birds.
As a preventive measure, spraying of disinfectant on vehicles plying that route also began yesterday

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