Premium

Culling operations reach 2.5 lakh: 3 more poultry farms test positive for bird flu in Maharashtra’s Navapur

The Nandurbar authorities have ordered a fresh round of culling and are redrawing containment zones to halt the spread of the H5N1 virus.

4 min readPuneUpdated: May 7, 2026 07:18 PM IST

Authorities confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in carcass and tissue samples (File photo).

The avian influenza (bird flu) crisis in Maharashtra’s Navapur has intensified, with three more poultry farms testing positive for the virus just days after the initial culling operation was completed. The ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in carcass and tissue samples sent from the region.

Dr Sanjay Khachane, Deputy Commissioner of Animal Husbandry in the Nandurbar district, confirmed that the administration received the positive reports late Wednesday. “Samples sent from Navapur’s Palawala, Sakisma, and Ashraf poultry farms have tested positive for avian influenza,” Dr Khachane told The Indian Express.

The latest findings trigger a fresh round of containment measures. Just a week ago, authorities concluded a massive six-day operation that culled 2.47 lakh birds and destroyed 9.26 lakh eggs.

“We will now embark on the same process initiated last week,” Dr Khachane said. “The latest reports require concerted action to cull chickens at these new sites and redraw the containment zones accordingly.”

Animal husbandry department officials have estimated a rough count of at least 1.5 lakh birds across these three farms. The focus is also on backyard poultry across 30 villages and a larger surveillance exercise has been taken up.

Meanwhile, results from a fourth farm are still awaited. 40 more samples from farms are also being sent to the Pune labs as part of surveillance.

Dr B R Narwade, regional joint commissioner (animal husbandry and dairy) Nashik region urged citizens not to panic since it is rare for transmission to humans. “We are on a constant vigil to present and stop the spread. Chicken and eggs in other parts of the state are safe for consumption with proper cooking and boiling,” he added.

Story continues below this ad

The initial outbreak was confirmed on April 30, following unusually high mortality rates at four farms. In response, the Nandurbar district administration established a 1-km radius around infected farms for immediate culling, declared a 3-km containment zone to monitor and restrict bird movement, and shifted its focus to backyard poultry to prevent the virus from spreading into local communities.

Nandurbar District Collector Mittali Sethi said that active surveillance and “unusual mortality” alerts from other farms enabled the administration to act quickly before official reports arrived. Sethi added that the administration is prioritising the redrawing of boundaries to seal off the new hotspots.

“Efforts are also being made to ensure that affected farm owners are compensated as early as possible to mitigate the massive financial losses to the local poultry industry,” Sethi said.

The Navapur region remains under high alert as central and state animal husbandry teams continue to monitor neighbouring clusters to prevent a broader regional spread.

Story continues below this ad

‘Human-to-human transmission extremely rare’
The recent culling in Navapur has once again raised concerns about the possibility of human transmission. ‘Dr Ishwar Gilada, secretary general of the People’s Health Organisation, noted that while human infection with highly pathogenic H5N1 can cause severe respiratory illness, carrying a high mortality rate globally, India has recorded only two confirmed human cases so far.

“There is neither any treatment nor a vaccine. However, an important scientific reality must be emphasised: sustained human-to-human transmission of H5N1 remains extremely rare and has so far prevented the virus from evolving into a large-scale human disaster,” Dr Gilada said.

Appealing for calm, Dr Gilada added that there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission. “The media must exercise restraint and present scientific developments with balance and context. Governments and public health authorities should promptly issue clear, evidence-based advisories to reassure the public and prevent unnecessary panic,” he said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
bird flu

Loading Recommendations...

May 20: Latest News

Live Blog