Bird flu: Odisha govt culls over 11,700 chickens

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has culled over 11,700 chickens at Pipili in Puri district following the detection of H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Culling began on Saturday after mass deaths of chickens at a local poultry farm in Pipili and was completed on Monday evening. More culling in homes and nearby villages will take place on Tuesday.

Additional Director of Disease Control Jagannath Nanda said 13 rapid response teams are handling the culling. Some poultry farm owners are conducting culling independently. No other unusual chicken deaths have been reported elsewhere in the State, he said.

In response to the outbreak, the State Health department has heightened surveillance and issued an alert. Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra said bird flu is not new to Odisha and that the department is working with stakeholders to manage the situation.