Mumbai: A total of 732 birds including 626 poultry birds died due to avian influenza in Maharashtra on Friday. The samples are being sent to National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and Diseases Investigation Section, Pune for testing. A total of 14,524 deaths of various birds have been recorded till date since the outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) on January 8.
Poultry samples from 16 districts were found positive for bird flu. All poultry birds, eggs, poultry feed and droppings within a radius of 1 km from the poultry farms are being scientifically destroyed. Out of 29 places, destruction of poultry, eggs, poultry feed and excreta has been completed in 25 places. So far 39,483 poultry birds, 8 ducks, 33,515 eggs and 53,046 kg poultry feed have been destroyed from infected zones.
The state government has sanctioned a compensation package of Rs 1.30 crore for culling of poultry and other birds, eggs and poultry feed and operational cost of disease control within 1 km radius of the infected areas under the Bird Flu Disease Control Programme.
The package included Rs 20 per bird for laying birds up to 8 weeks, Rs 90 per bird for layer birds above 8 weeks, Rs 20 per bird for Broiler birds up to 6 weeks, Rs 70 for Broiler birds above six weeks, Rs 3 per egg for poultry eggs, Rs 12 per kg for poultry feed, Rs 35 per bird for ducks up to six weeks of age and Rs 135 per bird for ducks above six weeks.
Surveillance work is continued at the places where positive results have been reported in other species of birds excluding poultry. The process of collection of Cloacal and oro-pharyngeal swabs, dropping and serum samples of the birds from 1-10 km radius area from the infected zone will be initiated after issuing the Sanitization Certificate.
A Central team, which is in the state since January 17, has so far visited Pen in Raigad district, Nande and Boribel in Pune district, Beed and Parbhani districts and reviewed the activities undertaken by the state government in containing the bird flu outbreak.
