Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Nepal: Bird flu spreads to Kavre‚ fowls culled in three poultry farms

2013-08-12
Despite maintaining high alert in the wake of bird flu outbreak in neighbouring Bhaktapur district, the disease was confirmed in three poultry farms in Kavre, for the first time, today.

The Kavre District Livestock Office said that bird flu was confirmed at Nepal Hatchery at Bhaisepati of Nasikasthan VDC and Aashapuri Hatchery at Nasikasthan Ward No 2 and Mahendrajyoti. Dr Hari Kumar Raghu Shrestha of the livestock office said the virus strain was found in Cobb 500 type of chicken in two hatcheries.

Locals and other entrepreneurs accused Narayan Hari Khatri, proprietor of all three farms in Kavre, of transferring bird flu infected fowls from his farms in Bhaktapur to his farms in Nasikasthan and Mahendrajyoti overnight.

Locals said bird flu was detected in Kavre after Khatri, who is also the first vice-president of Nepal Poultry Federation, transferred the diseased fowls from Bhaktapur.

A government team today culled 5,125 fowls and destroyed 8,550 kg of breeder chicken feed at Nepal Hatchery. The team also culled 8,213 fowls and destroyed 1,450 kg chicken feed and 22,287 eggs in Aashapuri Hatchery in Nasikasthan and 2,002 fowls and 6,760 eggs in Mahendrajyoti. The team would continue culling fowls tomorrow as well. There are around 28,413 breeder fowls in all the three farms.

Banepa police had seized a vehicle carrying 1,650 chicks when it was heading for Jiri from Bhaktapur at Chardobato, Banepa last evening. All the chicks were brought from Bhaktapur’s Nankhel-based Aashapuri Hatchery, police said. Nankhel-based Aashapuri Hatchery is also owned by Khatri.

Police have handed over the chicks, which were being transported without proper documents, to Kavre District Livestock Office. The vehicle had dodged a team of technicians stationed at Sanga and run away without letting the experts conduct rapid tests on the fowls.

When approached, Khatri declined to comment.

As part of the preventing measure in the wake of bird flu outbreak in Bhaktapur, the Kavre District Bird Flu Disease Control Committee has stopped import of chicken and chicken-related materials into the district and has established check-points at Sanga, Nala, Mangaltar and Dolalghat.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Bird+flu+spreads+to+Kavre%26sbquo%3B+fowls+culled+in+three+poultry+farms&NewsID=387170

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