NEW DELHI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday culled over 22,000 poultry birds following the outbreak of avian influenza (commonly called bird flu), officials said.
The outbreak has hit the Koni area of Bilaspur district, about 128 km north of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.
According to officials, around 4,744 chickens out of 5,037 died at a state-run poultry farm, triggering panic in the district and adjoining areas, prompting authorities to undertake measures to prevent the further spread of the virus in the state.
The samples of the chicken carcasses have confirmed the presence of strains of avian influenza (H5N1) in them.
The health department has been asked to monitor the health of local residents and conduct necessary check-ups. According to officials, samples of all workers inside the government-owned poultry farm have been tested and found negative.
Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well. ■
