Bird flu spreads in Maharashtra’s Navapur, three more poultry farms test positive; culling may cross 4 lakh birds

As per protocol, all poultry farms within a 1-km radius of the newly infected farms will undergo culling.
Of the seven farms falling within the new containment zones, three currently do not house birds. Officials estimate that over two lakh birds are present in the remaining farms.

With the latest detections, the total number of poultry farms affected by the outbreak has risen to 19, including four currently without birds.

Authorities are also grappling with the challenge of containing the infection among backyard poultry populations in surrounding rural areas.

Nearly 30 villages and hamlets fall within the newly affected zones.

“It is going to be an uphill task to convince families who rear different varieties of birds in their backyards. From Thursday evening, we have started culling backyard birds from the earlier three bird flu epicentre zones which are around 30,000. We are still trying to convince families, educate them and explain the infection risks,” Dr Kachane said.

Officials said backyard bird culling operations are being conducted after sunset, when birds return to their shelters and are calmer, making the exercise easier.

Meanwhile, another suspected sample comprising chicken carcass and tissue from Nampur village in Nashik district has been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for testing.

The report is expected on Friday.
Till May 6, authorities had culled 2,02,513 chickens, destroyed 8,88,240 eggs and disposed of 22.77 metric tonnes of poultry feed as part of containment operations.