Bangladesh News

A total of 26,159 fowls infected with avian influenza commonly known as bird flu were culled in Savar, Nilphamari, Barisal and Thakurgaon on Friday night and yesterday.

Around 17,000 chickens were annihilated at 10 poultry farms at Savar yesterday following the detection of deadly H5N1 virus in the farms, reported news agency UNB.

With the culling of the fresh ones, a total of 31,000 chickens were culled at Savar in the last two days, Livestock officials said.

After the detection of bird flu in ‘Sheela Poultry Farm’ at Rajashan, the Livestock officials decided to cull all the chickens of the 14 poultry farms located within the 1-km radius of the farm.

Following the decision, they said, 14,000 fowls of five poultry farms in the area were culled Friday while 15,600 of the rest nine farms yesterday.

Besides, about 1,400 fowls were culled at SS Agro Poultry Farm at Kamalapur village yesterday after the fresh detection of the deadly virus in the farm.

Meanwhile, at least 6,890 bird flu-infected fowls were culled in Nilphamari. Of those, 5,640 were culled at Sanmoy poultry farm while 997 at Alam Poultry farm. 14,347 eggs were also destroyed, reported our Nilphamari correspondent.

Besides, 113 chickens, 15 ducks and 45 pigeons belonged to 45 households were culled as those were infected with the deadly virus.

Sources said several fowls died within a few hours at Sanmoy Poultry farm and Alam Poulty farm in Kukha Para area.

The sample of dead chickens was first sent to a laboratory in Gaibandha and then it was sent to Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI).

Following the BLRI report which mentioned that the fowls were infected with bird flu, a team of livestock officials led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khorshed Alam culled the fowls.

Upazila and district livestock officials culled about 1,000 fowls infected with avian influenza in Barisal on Friday night and yesterday, reported our Barisal correspondent.

Sources said the fowls were culled at different poultry farms and houses in a one-kilometre area stretching from Thana Council to Islam Para in the city after a test report confirmed that those were infected with bird flu.

BCC mayor Awlad Hossain Dilu, and Barisal metropolitan Police Commissioner Khan Sayed Hassan, among others, were present during the culling.

The sources said Tk 80 would be given to the owners as compensation for each culled fowl.

At least 1269 domestic fowls were culled at 132 houses at Sarbamongola village of Baliadangi upazila yesterday, reported our Thakurgaon correspondent.

Besides, 329 eggs were destroyed.

Deputy Director of Livestock Directorate Bimol Chandra said they collected samples of some dead domestic chickens from the house of Abul Kalam at Sarbamongola village a few days back and sent to the regional research centre in Joypurhat and BLRI at Savar.

They received the report on Friday evening which confirmed that the fowls were infected with avian influenza.

District and upazila livestock officials with the help of local administration culled the fowls.