55,000 chickens culled in C Nepal amid flu fear

KATHMANDU - More than 55,000 chickens were culled in the central Terai town of Nepal after government veterinary officials confirmed a bird flu outbreak, local media reported on Sunday.

The outbreak was confirmed by a official from the District Veterinary Office of Chitwan at central Terai, about 150 km south west of Kathmandu, the Republica, an English Daily wrote.

Barely a month after bird flu was discovered in a poultry farm in Bharatpur-8, a strain of bird flu has once again been detected in two farms in Chitwan, the daily reported.

Samples had been sent for examination after chickens in the two farms started dying mysteriously. Laboratory reports on Friday confirmed the bird flu outbreak.

A total of more than 55,000 chickens in the two farms have already been culled. The team from the District Veterinary Office also destroyed 260 kg of chicken feed and 240 crates of eggs at the infected farm.

Last month, 22,000 chickens were also culled in the district fearing bird flu outbreak.

Him Nath Dawadi, the chief district officer of Chitwan said the avian flu might have spread into other poultry farms of the district.

"Chickens are being slaughtered and safely dumped. But the locals should still remain cautious," Dawadi was quoted as saying.

With frequent bird flu outbreaks, poultry farmers in the district have suffered huge losses. According official records, Chitwan fulfills 60 percent of the demand of chickens of the country's 26 million populations.