At least six samples from two poultry farms in Navi Mumbai tested positive for bird flu. The veterinary official of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) confirmed it. The samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune on January 25 of which the report came on Sunday.
Dr Vaibhaw Zhunzhare, veterinary official, NMMC said that the samples collected from the two poultry forms in Mhape and Ghansoli have been found positive for H5N1. The report received on Saturday evening was shared to the Thane district collector.
Abhijit Bangar, the municipal commissioner of NMMC, said that report was shared with the district collector as a notification to cull the birds is issued by him only. “All the birds within a radius of one km of the farms are being culled,” said Bangar.
He added that by Sunday evening around 250 birds were already culled from.
Bangar also informed that people who were in direct contact of birds in the poultry forms are being screened to check their health condition.
In the second week of January, around 10 birds were found dead and they were sent for a test for which the report is awaited. Soon after that, the civic body had issued an advisory regarding dos and don’ts.
The civic body published advertisements and requested people to do not to touch birds found dead and report to the civic body.
