05.02.2012

The deaths of chickens in Sunsari and Ilam districts in the past few weeks were due to avian influenza, tests in England have confirmed.

Tissue samples were sent to England after around 6,500 chickens in two poultry farms in Sunsari and chicken of locals in Fakfok VDC-2, Ilam died suddenly. The report from England received on Sunday confirmed that the fowls had died due to avian influenza H5N1.

Around 3,500 chicken at PK Poultry Farm in Itahari-6, Bajraha and 3,000 at Pathibhara Poultry Farm in Khanar had started dying since January 10. There are still around 7,000 chicken at PK and 2,000 at Pathibhara. The officials said only the chickens at the two farms in Sunsari with confirmed cases of avian influenza will be culled for now. The reason for avian influenza infection in Sunsari and Ilam districts have not been ascertained yet but veterinarians attribute it to import of fowls from India and Bangladesh.