BHUBANESWAR: In what could pose fresh worries for the State Government, new cases of avian influenza have been reported from Mayurbhanj district even as culling of poultry birds in Keranga continued by the rapid reaction teams (RRTs) on Saturday.
The Government has rushed expert teams to Betanati’s Bahanaga from where the samples had been sent to the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory (HSADL). The lab has formally informed the Government about the fresh incidence whereas the detailed report will follow shortly, sources said.
Meanwhile, a team from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare arrived in the State and visited Keranga. The team inspected the disposal of the culled birds and has reportedly expressed its satisfaction.
As many as 19,915 birds were culled on Saturday whereas 9,687 eggs were destroyed by the RRTs. So far, 31,175 birds have been culled and disposed of in the last three days.
While the culling exercise is expected to be wrapped up over the next week, the area will remain sanitised for three months before any fresh poultry farming is allowed. All the members of the RRTs will be quarantined for ten days after the culling is over.
The emergence of new cases in Mayurbhanj, meanwhile, could mean a ceiling on movement of poultry not only in the area but also across the borders. In the past, West Bengal has reported bird flu incidence several times.