Bird Flu Confirmed in Chitwan Poultry Farms, Thousands of Birds Culling Underway

Chitwan. Bird flu (H5N1) infection has been confirmed in poultry in Chitwan. Bird flu has been confirmed at a commercial layer farm and a nearby local chicken farm located in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-4 here.

According to Dr. Prabhat Neupane, Chief of the Animal Services Office, Chitwan, the bird flu seen in the eastern region of the country has now been confirmed in Chitwan as well. He stated that this disease is affecting commercially raised chickens and the infection could spread to other birds.

According to him, since it is a viral disease, adopting biosecurity measures is extremely necessary for its control. He urged farmers to pay special attention to regular health checks of ducks and chickens raised at home or commercially, farm sanitation, and controlling movement.

Approximately 18,000 layer chickens have been culled to control the infection at the location where bird flu was detected, and about 900 local chickens have been culled at another nearby farm, he informed. He said, "This is the first time bird flu has appeared in Chitwan since 2078 BS this year, and it has not spread elsewhere so far." During the last outbreak of bird flu in 2078 BS, about eight lakh chickens were destroyed in the district.

According to Dr. Vijay Kumar Shrestha, Chief of the National Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory, Chitwan, although bird flu has not been confirmed elsewhere so far, the risk remains in the district. He urged for high vigilance to minimize the disease as it can spread easily through various means.

It is necessary for farmers to take special precautions when transporting materials and other items between farms and remain alert, he stated. He said, "The condition of our poultry farming area is like a network. The same vehicle collects eggs and supplies feed to various farms. There is a risk of the virus spreading from an infected farm to a healthy farm during this collection and supply process."

The Animal Services Office stated that there were approximately 10.8 million chickens in the district according to last fiscal year's data.