Avian flu: 836 birds in Maharashtra found dead, samples sent for tests

Deaths of 836 different birds

were reported on January 16 across Maharashtra and samples have been sent for bird flu tests in laboratories in Pune and Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, officials said on Sunday.

As per an official statement, the deaths include that of 745 poultry birds, with Nagpur and Amravati districts from Vidarbha region reporting deaths of 290 and 75 poultry birds respectively.

In Beed in Marathwada and Gondia in Vidarbha, 50 poultry birds each died, the statement said.

It said 32 other birds like herons, sparrows and parrots, as well as 59 crows, including 33 from neighbouring Thane, also died in the state on Saturday.

"In Maharashtra, a total of 836 birds have died on January 16 till 7:00pm. The samples are being sent to National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and Disease Investigation Section, Pune for testing," said the statement.

A total of 5,987 bird deaths have been recorded in the state since January 8.