MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Sunday confirmed that strains of avian flu virus were found in six chicken in Nandurbar district. The samples have been sent to the Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal.

Mr. Deshmukh said that 49 of the 56 poultry farms in the district have been closed. "In the next 48 hours, eight to nine lakh birds in a three-kilometre radius of these farms will be killed. We expect to complete this task by Monday evening."

Farms in a 10-km radius would be kept under surveillance. The Government had assigned 300 officers to supervise the operation. Farmers must poison poultry and bury the dead birds in seven feet deep pits.

`Situation under control'

An estimated 50,000 chicken had died last week. "The situation is under control and there is no need to panic," he said.

The farmers would be given a compensation of Rs. 40 for a big bird, Rs. 30 for a broiler and Rs. 10 for a new-born chicken. The State and the Union Government would share the cost equally.

Humans infected

On suspected infection of humans, Mr. Deshmukh said a 35-year-old man and a four-year-old were under observation in an isolation ward at Nandurbar. Their blood samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and the results were expected in two days.

Blood samples of another 20 persons exposed to the virus have been sent for tests, but they have not been placed under observation.

Mr. Deshmukh ruled out the possibility of the threat spreading to other districts. He could not, however, say how far the poultry from Nandurbar district had gone in the recent past.

Monitoring posts

The Municipal Corporation here has set up monitoring posts at entry points to the city. All trucks carrying poultry will be checked. Any consignment with birds showing signs of infection will be denied permission to enter the city, Municipal Commissioner J. Joseph said.

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