Dr Hari Dahal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed bird-flu in chickens and ducks reared by Gyan Bahadur Khadka in Gharipatan of Pokhara. [break]
Six samples collected from Khadka´s farm were tested positive for H5 virus by Pokhara Regional Lab and Central Lab in Kathmandu two weeks ago before they were sent to Weybridge Lab in London for further confirmation.
“Weybridge lab today confirmed H5N1 type of bird-flu in all six samples” Dahal told the press.
Labs available in the country can detect only H5 virus.
Of the total 115 ducks and 40 chickens kept in Khadka´s farm, 100 ducks and 38 chickens were killed by the disease nearly 15 days ago.
A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday formed a committee headed by the Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav and directed it to take necessary measures to control the avian influenza.
The committee met on Wednesday evening and decided to immediately deploy Rapid Response Team to the affected area and put the area under close surveillance to prevent further spread of the disease.
“We will immediately ban on the movement of poultry products to and from the affected area. We hope that the disease will be brought under control within a week,” said Dahal. Officials have expected that around 10,000 fowls have been reared in different farms in the area.
He said the next meeting scheduled for Thursday morning will take a decision on whether to declare the site as ´crisis area´ or not.
prabhakar@myrepublica.com
Related story
Detecting bird flu
