MUMBAI : Bird flu cases were confirmed in six villages of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra on Tuesday.

Since March 14 when bird flu was notified in four villages in the district, samples were sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal which confirmed that seven samples had tested positive for the H5 virus, according to Bijay Kumar, Commissioner, Animal Husbandry Department, Maharashtra.

Mr. Kumar told The Hindu that the cases were part of the earlier outbreak. The samples, which tested positive were collected and sent between March 15 and March 18. This was done before the containment operations began in Jalgaon.

About 17 poultry farms with about 75,000 birds would be affected. About 2.5 lakh birds would have to be culled. Culling and containment operations would begin on Wednesday. There are still 900 samples pending with the Bhopal laboratory, he said.The villages from where the samples tested positive are Varad in Chopda taluka, Paldhi Khurd in Dharangaon taluka, Bhadgaon in Bhadgaon taluka, Parola in Parola taluka, Erandol and Uttaran in Erandol taluka. Chopda and Dharangaon had two villages where bird flu was earlier notified.

Culling operations will begin in the 10 km radius of the affected villages. The district administration is gearing up to start operations.

Spreads to Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi Special Correspondent reports:

Bird flu was detected in a village in Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. The district borders Jalgaon. This is the first time a case has been reported from the State.

Announcing this, Union Agriculture Ministry said birds within a radius of 10 km from the affected village would be culled and operations would commence on Wednesday.

Emphasising that further surveillance was under way, the Ministry noted that more than 11,700 samples from different parts of the country had been tested at the Bhopal laboratory since bird flu was first detected on February 18 in Navapur-Uchchhal area

Bhopal Staff Correspondent reports:

Prohibitory orders under Sction 144 have been clamped and all protective steps are being taken at Ichchapur.

The State Principal Secretary,Animal Husbandry, Ranjana Chaudhary told The Hindu that adequate protective gear was available and pits have been dug to start culling operations.

Arrangements have been made to give compensation to the poultry owners from Wednesday. When asked about the role being played by different Government departments and agencies, Ms. Chaudhary said, "it is an emergency and all steps are being taken."

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