Dhaka, Mar 28 (bdnews24.com) - Avian Influenza hit three more poultry farms in Tangail and Narayanganj districts in the last 48 hours.
Earlier poultry farms in Savar, Gazipur and Jamalpur were affected with the deadly disease that spread in a short span of time. Over 55,000 chickens have already been killed in total eight farms in the districts.
Livestock Department Director, Abdul Mutalib, told the bdnews24.com Wednesday night that poultry samples taken from the newly affetced farms confirmed the presence of the virus - H5N1.
"Yes, our laboratory test results show positive result," Mutalib said.
In Tangail 1,942 chickens and 4,290 eggs have been destroyed in Kostapara village under Gobindadashi in Bhuapur upazila on Tuesday night.
During culling of the poultry produces the district Livestock officer M A Rashid, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdus Sattar Sheikh and police personnel were present at the farm belonging to Abdul Jalil.
An official of the district livestock department said that six chickens had fallen sick and eventually died on March 12. The following day another 15 chickens died.
He said, "The same day we sent samples for test in Dhaka and ordered not to sell any products from the farm."
Dr Akhil Chandra of the district livestock department said, "We received the test results by 12 noon Tuesday by fax and soon sent a letter to the owner of the farm to take measures to destroy rest of the chickens and eggs in his farm."
Meanwhile, two poultry farms were also affected with the disease in river port areas of Narayanganj district. One farm belongs to Md Aktar in Kallayandi village and the other to Kalu Mridha in Sonakanda.
In both the farms a total of 11,000 chickens have already been killed. In Kalu Mridha's farm alone 5000 chickens died from the virus attack on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Samples of the poultry from both the farms were sent for laboratory tests. Results were positive in both cases.
Meanwhile, two more farms in Narayanganj were reported to have been affected.
The Bandar upazila nirbahi officer Ali Hossain told the bdnews24.com that some chickens were found dead in Joyna poultry farm in Malivita village and Asha poultry farm located next to Sonakandi poultry farm.
Ali informed that samples from the affected farms were collected and sent for laboratory tests in Dhaka Wednesday night.
The owner of Joyna poultry farm Sirajul Islam said that he started his farm about nine months ago. He had collected one-day chickens from a Narisha hatchery in Joydevpur, Gazipur.
bdnews24.com/corres/nh/ah/2358 hrs.
