20 Crows Found Dead in Delhi, Vets’ Team to Check For Bird Flu

Bird flu has been confirmed in Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: iStock)

Twenty crows have reportedly died in Mayur Vihar Phase 3 area, Delhi. A team of government veterinarians are probing for the presence of bird flu, also known as Avian influenza (H5N1), today, Friday, 8 January.

Sixteen more birds have died at DDA park Hastsal Village, Delhi and their samples are being tested in a lab. Lakhs of birds have been found dead in the last 10 days all across India.

“Around 20 crows have died in the area over the last few days. We are following the standard operating procedure. It is yet to be ascertained whether the cause of death is bird flu infection,” said Dr Rakesh Singh from the Development Department, quoted LiveMint.

The samples of the birds were sent to Jalandhar by the Development Department on Friday.

One of the doctors who visited the area told NDTV that the ‘birds could have died either because of the cold or bird flu’. The reason for their deaths will be confirmed after examination, reported NDTV.

Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has set up a control room in New Delhi to take stock on a daily basis of preventive and control measures undertaken by the states on Wednesday.

Six States Affected By Bird Flu

Delhi’s neighbouring state Haryana will be culling over 1.60 lakh birds. In Kerala also, as a precautionary measure, many birds were culled. “Bird flu was brought to Kerala by migratory birds. So far, 37,654 birds have been culled in Alappuzha and 7,29 birds were culled in Kottayam. Due to bird flu, 23,857 birds died in both districts,” said Kerala Animal Husbandry Minister K Raju, to ANI.

Multi-disciplinary teams have been deployed on 4 January to Alappuzha and Kottayam districts of Kerala and Panchkula district of Haryana to implement the health ministry’s containment plan of the bird flu.

(With inputs from LiveMint and NDTV)