Bird flu outbreak reported in Dharashiv, culling starts

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Dhoki village from Dharashiv district, roughly 240 km from the city, has reported a bird flu outbreak, prompting authorities to carry out the culling of hens of local poultry farms and domestic owners.

After Latur and Nanded, Dharashiv is the third district in Marathwada where bird flu has been detected in less than two months

Earlier, Dhoki, located within the tehsil limits of Dharashiv, had witnessed deaths of crows in batches. The local authorities then collected samples from local poultry farms.

Yatin Pujari, the animal husbandry officer of Dharashiv, on Thursday said the samples concerned have tested positive for bird flu at a Bhopal lab. As a result, culling of hens has been ordered.

"We have culled and disposed of 295 hens so far. More action is on the cards. All poultry and domestic owners have been asked to strictly follow cleanliness and hygiene guidelines. We have also appealed to poultry farms and residents to report the bird deaths in their area," he said.

Authorities said affected poultry owners will be compensated for their loss as per govt norms. The compensation will be given in the form of direct benefit transfer (DBT) into the registered bank accounts.

Dharashiv district administration has declared the area within 10km radius of the affected Dhoki location as an alert zone. Movement of poultry items is restricted in this zone, authorities said.

Earlier, Udgir taluka in Latur district had reported confirmed presence of bird flu in Jan end. Udgir town too had reported crow deaths. A few days before the Udgir incident, Mauje Kiwala village in Loha taluka of Nanded had reported a bird flu outbreak, prompting authorities to carry out culling of 456 hens there.

The authorities, however, said eating well-cooked chicken or eggs is safe for humans. "The bird flu virus cannot survive temperatures beyond 70°C. Therefore, it is safe to consume poultry products by taking necessary precautions," they said.