Maharashtra confirms bird flu, 800 chickens found dead in Murumba village

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 11 : Maharashtra has confirmed bird flu after 800 chickens found dead at Murumba village in Parbhani district, an official said.
In order to assess the situation arising out of the bird flu outbreak, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday will chair a meeting to review the bird flu situation in Maharashtra, officials said.
"Three days ago, 800 chickens in Murumba village died due to bird flu. The administration had sent blood samples of dead chickens to National Laboratory. Reports confirm that the chickens died of bird flu," the District Collector of Parbhani area said.
The official said that all the birds in poultry farms within one-kilometre radius of Muramba village will be culled. Moreover, the sale and purchase of birds within a 10-km radius has been suspended. "All people in the village are being tested for the virus and a medical team is present," the collector said.
Eleven crows were found dead in Mumbai's Chembur area on Sunday and the samples of dead crows have been sent for examination.
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying on Sunday said that the central teams formed for monitoring the spread of bird flu are visiting the affected sites in seven states across the country. These seven states include Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.