Dhaka, Mar 28 (bdnews24.com) – Bird flu has hit three more poultry farms in Tangail and Narayanganj districts in the last 48 hours.
Poultry farms in Savar, Gazipur and Jamalpur have already been affected with the deadly disease that has spread in a short span of time. Over 55,000 chickens have already been culled in eight farms in the districts to contain the threat.
Livestock Department director Abdul Mutalib told bdnews24.com Wednesday night poultry samples taken from the newly-hit farms confirmed the presence of the virus H5N1.
"Yes, our laboratory test results were positive," Mutalib said.
In Tangail 1,942 chickens have been culled and 4,290 eggs destroyed in Kostapara village under Gobindadashi in Bhuapur upazila on Tuesday night.
District livestock officer MA Rashid, upazila nirbahi officer Abdus Sattar Sheikh and policemen were present during culling at the farm of Abdul Jalil.
An official of the district livestock department said six chickens had fallen sick and died on March 12 and another 15 chickens the following day.
"The same day we sent samples for test in Dhaka and ordered that the firm not sell any products," he said.
Dr Akhil Chandra of the district livestock department said, "We received the test results by 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."
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 farms, a total of 11,000 chickens have already been killed. In Kalu Mridha's farm alone 5,000 chickens died from the virus attack on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Samples of the poultry from both farms tested positive.
Two more farms in Narayanganj were reported to have been affected.
Bandar upazila nirbahi officer Ali Hossain told bdnews24.com some chickens were found dead in Joyna Poultry Farm in Malivita village and Asha Poultry Farm next to Sonakandi Poultry Farm.
Ali said samples from the affected farms were collected and sent for laboratory tests in Dhaka Wednesday night.
Owner of Joyna Poultry Farm Sirajul Islam said he started his farm about nine months ago. He had collected one-day-old chickens from a Narisha hatchery in Joydevpur, Gazipur.
bdnews24.com/corres/nh/ah/bd/2358hrs
