Nepal extends bird flu emergency zone

Amid health concerns expressed by various quarters, the Nepalese government Saturday extended the bird flu emergency zone to more parts of the Kathmandu district for three months.

"After declaring Bhaktapur district of the capital as emergency zone on Aug 15, it was necessary to include more parts under it, " Narayan Ghimire, the government's spokesperson for bird flu control campaign, told Xinhua.

Among three districts of Nepalese capital (Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu), the extension of the emergency zone will be enforced in some parts of Kathmandu district.

"We can't say exactly how much fowls we are going to cull in Kathmandu district, as poultry farms, by and large, have remained an unchecked and non-regulated business," said Ghimire.

As per the provision of emergency zone, all fowls including chicken, duck and pigeon will be destroyed along with their eggs, feed and excreta and the poultry farms will be cleaned and disinfected.

During an emergency zone period, fowls cannot be transported and supplied to and from the infected area and no one can keep new fowls. The sales of chicken and other fowl meat will also be banned.

Since the beginning of new fiscal year on July 16, the Nepalese capital has registered more than 55 bird flu cases, of which Bhaktapur alone recorded more than 40 cases.

A bird flu case was first reported in Nepal in January 2009. Since then, its recurrence has been witnessed time and again.