Bird flu: Odisha to cull chickens in and around agri tech

The state government is all set to start culling of chicken after confirmation of avian influenza or bird flu in the poultry farms of the Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) located here, official sources said.

The culling will be conducted within one kilometre of the OUAT poultry farm located inside the campus of the College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry at Siripur locality.

"We had sent the blood sample of the birds to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal and these were tested positive to the H5N1 virus," said Prof Susen Panda of the OUAT.

An official of the Fisheries and Animal Resources department said, "All the poultry birds within one km radius of the infected site will be culled and disposed of by deep burial method with application of disinfectants like lime and bleaching powder."