NEW DELHI - The state of Odisha in eastern India has culled more than a thousand chickens after a positive test for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, a state government official told Reuters on Sunday.
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The epicentre of the outbreak was in the Puri district, about 19 miles from the state capital Bhubaneswar, and follows the recent death of 1,800 birds at a local poultry farm.
“The work is ongoing. We are going to cull about 20,000 birds,” Additional Director of Disease Control Dr. Jagannath Nanda told Reuters.
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The H5N1 strain is considered highly pathogenic and can also be transmitted to animals such as pigs, horses, large cats, dogs, and occasionally humans.
The spread of the virus is a concern for governments and the poultry industry due to the devastation it can cause to flocks, the possibility of trade restrictions and the risk of human transmission.
