Bird Flu Outbreak: 85,000 Chickens Culled Across Three Districts in Koshi Province

Jhapa. Following the detection of bird flu, approximately 85,000 chickens have been culled across three districts in Koshi Province.

According to Dr. Gangaram Yadav, Senior Livestock Development Officer at the Directorate of Livestock and Fisheries Development in Biratnagar, the chickens were culled across 22 commercial farms in the three districts where the H5N1 bird flu infection was confirmed. Out of the 14 districts in the province, the infection has spread to Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari.

Senior Livestock Development Officer Dr. Yadav stated that the infection was detected in eight farms in Morang, two in Jhapa, and 12 in Sunsari. The culled stock includes 70,000 layers, 7,000 broiler parents, 1,000 broilers, 4,000 chicks, and 2,325 local breed chickens. Additionally, 57 ducks, 227,000 eggs, and 28,000 kilograms of feed were destroyed, he added. 

To prevent further spread, the Directorate has implemented high alert measures in the surrounding areas of the farms and banned the import and export of poultry products, Dr. Yadav noted. The department has imposed a complete ban on the movement of birds and poultry products from the infected areas and increased surveillance in other districts. The Directorate has urged the public to remain vigilant, as the H5N1 virus carries the risk of transmission from birds to humans.