BEHRAMPORE: Murshidabad's Khargram block has come under the grip of bird flu. The Animal Disease Laboratory (ADL) in Bhopal has confirmed that two hens from the block died of the H5N1 (avian influenza) virus, commonly known as bird flu. District administration has started culling operation from Thursday night.
SDO (Kandi) Utpal Bhadra confirmed that serum samples of two birds from Nagar and Hazrabati villages, sent to the Bhopal laboratory, had tested positive.
The culling operations started in a 3-km radius of Nagar and Hazrabati villages from Thursday evening. "We hope to finish the task in a day or two," said Murshidabad DM Parwez Ahmed Siddiqui.
Sources said that in the last 10 days, over 1,000 hens and ducks had died mysteriously in Khargram. Indrani, Kirtipur, Parulia, Jaipur and Margram areas were the worst affected. At first, administrative officers and animal resource development department officers thought the birds died from the cold wave and Ranikhet disease. But when the number of deaths increased in the last five days, the administration sent samples to Bhopal.
Disinfection work also began at Khargram on Thursday. Twenty teams are working in 10 villages. Ten machines are being used to spray disinfectant. "We began making culling arrangements from Wednesday. On Thursday night, five teams, each of four to five officials, will start culling birds at Nagar village. On Friday, about 30 culling teams are expected to join the operation. About 100 persons will be trained to cull birds at Khargram BDO office on Thursday and they will be deployed on Friday," said Khargram panchayat samiti sabhapati Abul Kashem.
"So far, we have got Rs 1.6 crore from the DM for culling. Compensation to poultry owners will be paid in cash on the spot. Till now, I have not heard of hen deaths in poultry farms. However, many birds reared in houses have died," said Kashem.
The Kandi SDO said, "We have restricted the movement of poultry products in Khargram block from Wednesday and set up three checkpoints at Jaipur, Sherpur market and Bhangadighi."
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