Bird flu cases have been detected in Maharashtra's Thane district after around 100 birds died in a poultry farm. This comes after reports suggested that bird flu cases have been reported from Bihar.
"Around 100 birds died at the poultry farm in Vehloli village in Shahapur tehsil recently. Their samples were sent to a Pune-based laboratory for testing and the results confirmed that they died due to H5N1 avian influenza," Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Thane Zilla Parishad, Dr Bhausaheb Dangde, said.
Following the incident, around 25,000 birds being reared at the poultry farms in the one-km area of the affected farm will be culled in the next couple of days, he said.
Further measures will be taken to prevent the spread of the infection in other birds.
On Wednesday, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) suggested that Bihar reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus on a poultry research farm
The virus killed 787 out of 3,859 birds on the farm in Patna and all of the remaining birds were slaughtered, the Paris-based OIE said, citing a report from India's authorities.
The outbreak started on Jan. 18 and was reported on Feb. 16, according to the report.
Avian Influenza is a highly contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild birds. Avian Influenza viruses have also been isolated, although less frequently, from mammalian species, including rats, mice, weasels, ferrets, pigs, cats, tigers, dogs and horses, as well as from humans.
