Mysterious death of some 40 chicken creates panic in villages

Death of 40 chickens and hens in a farm on the outskirts of the city near Kerala, where thousand of birds have been culled since November 26 due to outbreak of H5N1 virus, triggered panic among people.
The poultry farm owner filed a complaint with Animal Husbandry department that 25 chickens and 13 fully grown hens were found dead in his farm yesterday. Another 20 hens were found totally fatigued, unable to even lift their heads, police quoted him as having told the officials.
Senior officials of the Department rushed to the spot to take blood samples of the live birds. They also took away the carcasses and sent them for lab tests, police said.

Kerala government had embarked on a massive culling drive of birds since November 26 in the three affected districts of Alappuzha, Kuttanad and Pathanamthitta to prevent spread of bird flu and has also stated that no human being was found infected.