Culling operation of birds completed in Punjab's SAS Nagar

The culling operation of the birds, mopping and sanitisation of infected poultry farms completed in Punjab's SAS Nagar, the district Information and Public Relations Office said on Monday.

The culling operation of the birds, mopping and stisation of infected poultry farms completed in Punjab's SAS Nagar, the district Information and Public Relations Office said on Monday.

"After three weeks of extensive curtailment measures, the threat of spread of avian flu in the district has been successfully countered'', informed Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan on Monday.

The Deputy Commissioner also said that the administration has been on high alert ever since the bird flu confirmation was received on January 21. Twenty-five Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) comprising of five members each were deployed for swift action. The culling in the infected farms Alpha, Royal and Evergreen in village Behera commenced on January 22 and by January 29 nearly 84,505 birds from these farms were culled.

"Subsequently, 2,760 eggs and 1,28,850 kg feed was destroyed. This was followed by a period of mopping which lasted for nearly ten days. Thereafter, large scale stization measures were initiated, and now the concerned farms have been finally issued the certificates of stization and all the aspects of culling operation are complete," he added.

Responding to a query regarding the district being free of avian influenza, he said: "As of now the threat is over but to officially declare the zone to be bird flu-free still requires waiting for some time."

For a bird flu-free zone, it is mandatory that after the culling, mopping and stization in the area around 10 km radius of the epicentre has to be monitored closely. It has to be divided into four zones, frequent sampling has to be conducted and fortnightly testing is to be carried out for two months from each zone.

If no more positive samples surface, it is only then that the area is declared bird flu free. In the meanwhile, formalin spray after every 15 days has to be done for three months in each of the farms where culling was undertaken; then they can re-commence the business, the statement said.

( With inputs from ANI )