Nepal - bird flu in poultry/animals/wild birds

[HenryN]

Culling of Birds Begins in Jhapa Today

THT Online

Jhapa, January 18: Culling of birds at the 'bird-flu crisis-hit area' in Kakarbhitta of Mechinagar municipality-10 will begin on Sunday. Jhapa Assistant Chief District Officer Laxman Prasad Hamal said over 13,000 birds in 3-kilometre radius of Mechi Customs Office in Kakarbhitta would be culled beginning Sunday. According to Veterinary Centre Jhapa chief Dilip Sapkota, a team of specialists led by Dr RK Khatiwoda of Bird Flu Control Project arrived in Jhapa from Kathmandu today. Dr Sapkota added that a control room had been established in Mechinagar municipality building today. Assistant CDO Hamal said the bird flu outbreak was discovered when 8-10 chickens belonging to Ramesh Karki of Mechinagar municipality-10 died mysteriously in the second week of January. Teaming up in tens, the specialists would cull the birds. The government has decided to compensate for that. Sapkota added that they were cautious not to let the disease spread to other areas. A meeting held here today made a decision not to allow the sale of the checked poultry, Hamal said. According to district veterinary office, 350 poultry farms and 1,35,000 chickens were in their watch. Police said the watch had been extended to Damak and bordering Gaurigunj as well. The import of birds has also been banned in bordering areas in Ilam. Local administration said public awareness campaigns had been launched in some places in the district. After the outbreak in Jhapa, bordering districts have also been kept under alert. Administration has extended its watch over the import and export of birds in Morang's Biratnagar, Rupandehi's Sunauli, Parsa's Birgunj, Nepalgunj's Rupaidiya, among others. Our correspondent said that Chitwan district, which is flourishing in poultry farming, has also been kept under alert. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...eDate=20090118

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...eDate=20090118

Culling of Birds Begins in Jhapa Today

THT Online
Jhapa, January 18:

Culling of birds at the 'bird-flu crisis-hit area' in Kakarbhitta of Mechinagar municipality-10 will begin on Sunday. Jhapa Assistant Chief District Officer Laxman Prasad Hamal said over 13,000 birds in 3-kilometre radius of Mechi Customs Office in Kakarbhitta would be culled beginning Sunday.
According to Veterinary Centre Jhapa chief Dilip Sapkota, a team of specialists led by Dr RK Khatiwoda of Bird Flu Control Project arrived in Jhapa from Kathmandu today. Dr Sapkota added that a control room had been established in Mechinagar municipality building today. Assistant CDO Hamal said the bird flu outbreak was discovered when 8-10 chickens belonging to Ramesh Karki of Mechinagar municipality-10 died mysteriously in the second week of January.
Teaming up in tens, the specialists would cull the birds. The government has decided to compensate for that. Sapkota added that they were cautious not to let the disease spread to other areas.
A meeting held here today made a decision not to allow the sale of the checked poultry, Hamal said. According to district veterinary office, 350 poultry farms and 1,35,000 chickens were in their watch. Police said the watch had been extended to Damak and bordering Gaurigunj as well. The import of birds has also been banned in bordering areas in Ilam.
Local administration said public awareness campaigns had been launched in some places in the district. After the outbreak in Jhapa, bordering districts have also been kept under alert. Administration has extended its watch over the import and export of birds in Morang's Biratnagar, Rupandehi's Sunauli, Parsa's Birgunj, Nepalgunj's Rupaidiya, among others.
Our correspondent said that Chitwan district, which is flourishing in poultry farming, has also been kept under alert.

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=175939

Outrage in Jhapa over slow response
Kantipur Report

BIRTAMOD, Jan 18 - People living in parts of Jhapa district bordering India blocked vehicular movement on Saturday to protest what they called "lack of seriousness" on the part of the government to control the outbreak of bird flu.

They got infuriated as government officials did not show up at the affected area soon after the outbreak.

Dilli Ghimire, a local, said, "Twenty-four hours have passed since the government declared parts of Jhapa bird flu-infected area, but the administration has not sent officials to the affected area to control the outbreak. This is ridiculous".

Just two technicians are spraying Vircon, a disinfectant, in and around the infected area, he said. Locals fear the delay on the part of the government to control the outbreak will result in a number of casualties, he said. On Friday, the government had declared emergency in areas that lie within a radius of three kilometres from the quarantine office in Kakkarbhitta, the gateway to eastern Nepal. The emergency-hit area straddles the Mechi River in the east, Mechi Municipality in the west, Nakalbanda in the north and Satighatta in the south.

Manas Banerjee, coordinator-director at the Avian Influenza Control Project under the Ministry of Health, said on Friday that the government had sent a medical team along with 65 supervisors to cull the infected birds. He added that the medial experts and supervisors would cull around 13,000 birds in five days.

Banerjee said on Saturday, "The team has been conducting surveillance in the affected area. All the 65 supervisors have been given antiviral medicine called Tamiflu to keep infection at bay." "In a bid to contain the outbreak, the government has banned the transportation of poultry products to and from Jhapa and barred locals from the affected area," he said.

Meanwhile, a team comprising officials from the Department of Animal Husbandry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives arrived here on Saturday.

Ram Krishna Khatiwada, chief of the Central Quarantine Office and the team leader, said a rapid response team would be mobilised in the affected area from Sunday.

Meanwhile, a report from Ilam states that District Administration Office (DAO) has sounded alert after bird flu was detected in Kakarbhitta of Jhapa. The DAO has directed checkposts to prohibit the import of poultry and poultry products in Ilam. According to Sudharshan Dhakal, Chief District Officer of Ilam, "All departments under the DFO have been told to ban the import of poultry products."

On Saturday, the DFO destroyed 800 chicken eggs at Chabbise of Shri Antu in the district.

Meanwhile, poultry farmers based in Biratnagar said the compensation offered by the government was too little. On Friday, the government had promised to compensate the farmers, whose birds would be culled, as per the law.

Representatives from the District Poultry and Traders Association on Saturday said the government was not providing compensation as per the market price of chickens. Poultry

farmers will not cooperate with the government's exercise if their concerns are not addressed, the association said.
Posted on: 2009-01-17 19:45:40 (Server Time)

[Sally Furniss]

Nepal calls for foreign assistance in Bird Flu control
Kantipur Report
BIRGUNJ, Jan 18 - Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta Sunday has called on foreign donor organisations to assist in eliminating the recent outbreak of Bird Flu in the country.

“Although Nepal has manpower, it lacks the resources,” he said at a programme in Birgunj.

The government on Friday confirmed that first outbreak avian influenza after the H5N1 virus were detected in chickens of Mechi Municipality-10, Kakadbhitta of Jhapa district. The area within the range of three kilometres from Municipality has been declared “Bird Flu Emergency Area”.

10 ‘killing groups’ have been deployed to cull the chicken, duck and other bird at the area from today, the Agriculture Minister informed.

He claimed that entire birds and bird-related matters will be destroyed by four-five months.

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=176005

[HenryN]

Surveillance tightened in east Nepal after bird flu scare

www.chinaview.cn 2009-01-18 18:35:15

Print

KATHMANDU, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The local authorities of bordering districts in eastern Nepal have more tightened surveillance after bird flu was detected in chicken in Mechinagar Municipality of Jhapa district, some 320 km southeast of Nepali capital Kathmandu. Specialist teams have started culling chicken and other birds and destroying poultry production in Mechinagar, which has been declared bird flu risk zone by government on Friday. An expert team led by Dr. Ram Krishna Khatiwada, head of Bird Flu Control Project, had already reached the affected area from Kathmandu and has begun his work, local news website Nepalnews reported on Sunday. Three kilometers periphery of the customs office in Mechinagar has been declared bird flu risk zone. The local administration of Jhapa has reported as saying more than 13,000 birds will be culled and safely disposed in Mechinagarand surrounding areas. Apart from culling birds and destroying poultry products, tools used in poultry firms will be sterilized, reports quoting local authorities said. Around 350 poultry firms in the area are now under bird flu surveillance while the import of birds from bordering India has been tightly controlled, reports quoting local officials said. Meanwhile, Nepali national news agency RSS on Sunday reported, team of specialists deployed to control bird flu in Jhapa district are facing difficulties after the Poultry Entrepreneurs Union, Jhapa declined to assist the team. According to the report, Union has decided to deny assistance to the team reasoning that the compensation fixed by the Agriculture Ministry was very low for destroying the birds and poultry products. The report quoted Khatiwada, head of the expert team as saying that "the team was unable to provide compensation to any poultry entrepreneur against the rule and regulation fixed by the government." Cabinet meeting on Friday had announced bird flu outbreak in Nepal for the first time which was first found in Jhapa district. The announcement came after laboratory tests conducted in London showed bird flu in chicken samples taken from a household in Mechinagar. Avian influenza commonly known as bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses and it can also infect humans. Avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can quickly make domesticated birds sick and kill them.

Editor:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10678424.htm

[HenryN]

Bird culling to begin today
	UPENDRA LAMICHANE BIRJUNG, Dec 18: Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Jay Prakash Gupta said that 10 culling teams have been dispatched Sunday to destroy birds and bird products in the bird flu affected areas. Speaking at a press conference organized by the Reporters Club of Birgunj, Minister Gupta informed that the culling teams will destroy all the ducks, chicken, pigeons and other birds in the affected areas within 5 days. Along with the birds, bird feed is also to be destroyed. “I use this event to ask help from the World Food Program, European Union and World Health Organization to sort out the problem,” said Gupta. He also urged the locals to support the move and expressed concern over the protest by locals who have demanded higher compensation than what the government is giving them. “I urge the locals not to ask for compensation for the birds. We need the support of the locals so that the epidemic doesn’t spread to other areas of the country,” he said. The minister ended the event by eating an egg served at the Press Conference, to dismiss fears of bird flu in the area.
Published on 2009-01-18 12:45:08 http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...s&news_id=1211

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.newsonair.com/news.asp?ca...onal&id=IN6463

Nepal moves to tackle bird flu

Jan 18
In Nepal, local authorities in Jhapa district bordering India have tightened surveillance after bird flu was detected in chickens in Mechinagar Municipality on Friday. Specialist teams have started culling chicken and other birds and destroying poultry production in Mechinagar, which has been declared bird flu risk zone by Nepal government. According to official sources, as many as 13,000 birds will be culled and safely disposed in three kilometers periphery of the customs office in Mechinagar, declared as bird flu risk zone.
Apart from culling birds and destroying poultry products, tools used in poultry firms will be sterilized. An expert team led by Dr R.K Khatiwada, head of Bird Flu Control Project, has already arrived in the affected area from Kathmandu.
Around 350 poultry firms in the area are now under bird flu surveillance while the import of birds from bordering India has been banned. The announcement on outbreak of bird flu for the first time in Nepal came after laboratory tests conducted in London showed bird flu in chicken samples taken from a household in Mechinagar.

[HenryN]

Surveillance tightened in eastern border after Bird Flu scare
Local authorities in eastern Jhapa and Ilam districts have tightened surveillance after Bird Flu was detected in chicken in Mechinagar Municipality of Jhapa district recently.
Specialist teams have started culling chicken and other birds and destroying poultry production in Mechinagar, which has been declared Bird Flu risk zone, from Sunday. An expert team led by Dr R.K Khatiwada, head of Bird Flu Control Project, has already arrived in the affected area from Kathmandu.
Three kilometers periphery of the customs office in Mechinagar has been declared Bird Flu risk zone.
The local administration of Jhapa has said as many as 13,000 birds will be culled and safely disposed in Mechinagar and surrounding areas. Apart from culling birds and destroying poultry products, tools used in poultry firms will be sterilised.
Around 350 poultry firms in the area are now under Bird Flu surveillance while the import of birds from bordering India has been tightly controlled, reports quoting local officials said.
An emergency cabinet meeting on Friday had announced Bird Flu alert in Jhapa. The announcement came after laboratory tests conducted in London showed Bird Flu in chicken samples taken from a household in Mechinagar.
Avian influenza commonly known as Bird Flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses and it can also infect humans. Avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can quickly make domesticated birds sick and kill them. nepalnews.com mk Jan 18 09

http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/200...n18/news08.php

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...eDate=20090119

Bird flu scare puts poultry hub on high alert
Chintamani Poudel
Chitwan, January 18:

The district — the hub of poultry industry in the country — is on high alert to prevent the outbreak of bird flu. A meeting, attended by the representatives of the District Administration Office (DAO) and District Livestock Services Office, held here today decided to ensure preventive measures to save the growing industry from the looming crisis at hand. Representatives of security agencies, poultry farmers, entrepreneurs, experts and other stakeholders took part in the meeting, which was chaired by CDO Ratna Raj Pandey.
It was decided to enforce quarantine, by managing sale and distribution of poultry products and feed. The government was urged to launch a nationwide campaign on the consumption of poultry products in light of the bird flu scare. Talks revolved around making the district-based National Bird Disease Research Office and livestock services office more technically competent so that the surveillance can be carried on a regular basis. Chitwan contributes to more than 50 per cent of the poultry industry in Nepal.

Compensation row disrupts culling operation:
Jhapa: Culling began within a radius of three km in Mechinagar Municipality-10 from Sunday. According to assistant CDO Laxman Hamal, 1,472 chickens and four ducks were culled on the first day by 10 Rapid Response Teams.
Earlier, the poultry farmers disrupted the culling operation for five hours, protesting insufficient amount of compensation. Public resentment is growing at the lack of preventive measures even though the outbreak of bird flu was confirmed on Friday. The government has fixed the following compensation rates: Rs 500 for a local chicken, Rs 250 for broiler, Rs 100 for backyard ones and 50 paisa for an egg. However, the aggrieved farmers are demanding Rs 400 for a chicken, Rs 20 for a kg of poultry feed and Rs 4 for an egg. — Govinda Chhetry

[HenryN]

26 districts under high alert
	PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE KATHMANDU, Jan 19: The government has put 26 districts bordering India under high alert to prevent possible spread of bird flu, said a top government official on Monday. “Keeping in mind the possible transportation of poultry products from India through the frontier districts, we are on high alert in those districts keeping our surveillance system more vigilant there,” secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operative (MoAC) told myrepublica.com. A meeting of government officials and poultry farmers on Sunday has decided to request the Ministry of Home to deploy police along the major highways to conduct vigorous checking of vehicles transporting poultry products. “We have also requested the poultry farmers during the meeting to co-operate with the government with investigation if other cases are traced in other places” said Purshottam Mainali, joint secretary at the MoAC. According to Mainali, farmers have demanded with the government to resolve the problem of load-shedding and provide relief to them from loss inflicted due to load-shedding. Secretary Thapa also informed that rapid response team deputed in Mechi Nagar Municipality where first case of bird flu was detected, has culled more than 8,500 chickens by Monday afternoon. “We have deployed 10 teams—six for poultry farms and four for small household farm— for culling chicken in the bird flu area,” said Thapa. Thapa said the government is not increasing the compensation amount demanded by local farmers whose poultry is being culled. The government has set compensation of Rs 500 and Rs 250 for parent chicken of layer and broiler breeds respectively. Likewise all kinds of fowl including chicken and duck have been priced at Rs 100 per head and 50 paisa per egg. Chicken prices nosedive Meanwhile, price of chicken has come down sharply after bird flu was traced in Jhapa on Friday. According to Hari Kumar Rawal, proprietor of Valley Cold Store in Balaju — one of the biggest chicken wholesaler, the price of chicken meat has come down to Rs 148 per kg on Monday from Rs 190 per kg on Friday while the price of live chicken is down to Rs 100 per kg from Rs 100 per kg.
Published on 2009-01-19 17:58:03

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...s&news_id=1248

[HenryN]

No human casualty in bird flu-hit Nepal
Jan 19th, 2009 | By Sindh Today | Category: India
Kathmandu, Jan 19 (IANS) Struck with the bird flu virus for the first time, Nepal Monday said no human casualties had been detected so far and declared all districts adjoining India as ’super-critical areas’ to stop the virus from spreading.
‘Till now, we haven’t come across human infections in Nepal,’ said Hari Dahal, spokesman at the agriculture and cooperatives ministry.
Dahal also said that the virus had not been detected outside Jhapa district in eastern Nepal, adjoining the border with India’s West Bengal state, where the outbreak was formally acknowledged by the government Friday.
To stop the spread of the virus, the government Monday declared all 26 districts sharing a border with India as ’super-critical areas’ where poultry products can be sold only after a clean chit by veterinary doctors.
From Monday, the agriculture and the home ministries together began conducting examinations along all highways to ferret out illegally smuggled in poultry products.
The government also banned the transport of poultry products in public transport.
The additional measures were declared after farmers began culling chickens and ducks in Mechinagar town in Jhapa district adjoining the border with India’s West Bengal state where the virus was detected once again a few weeks ago.
Farmers estimate around 8,000 birds will have been slaughtered by Monday evening though there is fear about receiving compensation from the government.
Poultry farming in Nepal is estimated to have an investment of about NRS 20 billion. The annual trade in poultry products is about NRS 16 billion.
With a recent outbreak reported in India’s West Bengal and Assam states, it is felt that the virus could have entered Nepal through eggs or poultry smuggled from across the porous border in defiance of a ban imposed by the Nepal government.

http://www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/53315.htm

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...eDate=20090120

26 border districts under bird flu scanner

Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, January 19:

The government has intensified its surveillance in 26 border districts in the wake of the outbreak of bird flu at Kakarbhitta, Jhapa, on Friday. Kakarbhitta is contiguous to West Bengal, India. Red alert has been sounded in all the 26 districts.
“Import of birds, poultry and poultry products from India has been banned,” said Tek Bahadur Thapa, secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC).
The state organs are keeping a strict vigil on the mysterious death of chickens and birds across the country. The MoAC has urged the Home Ministry to intensify search operations by police personnel in border areas. The police have been asked to frisk vehicles for poultry and poultry products. Culling is currently going on in a three-km radius — the government has declared it a bird flu-hit area on Friday — in Mechinagar Municipality-10 of Jhapa district.
“Six Rapid Response Teams are engaged in culling in poultry farms. While, four are busy in backyard farms,” added Thapa. “No symptom of bird flu has been detected in humans till now. Additional health personnel from Kathmandu and a World Health Organisation team from India have been deployed in Kakarbhitta today,” said Dr Manas Banerjee, coordinator and director, Avian Influenza Control Project, Department of Health Service. He also spelt out the symptoms of avian influenza among humans. “High fever along with cough and sore throat are the tell-tale signs. Exposure to infected birds and poultry products can lead to the transmission of the virus among humans,” explained Dr Banerjee.

Day II: Culling gains momentum:
Damak: The culling operation to tackle the outbreak of bird flu is in full swing in Mechinagar Municipality-10 of Jhapa district. Around 8,000 chickens, 11 ducks and 11 pigeons were culled on Monday. Ten Rapid Response Teams have been pressed into service, who are busy destroying poultry feed and eggs as well. The dead ones are being buried in Tokla Tea Estate. The Federation of All Nepal Peasants issued a statement on Monday, demanding “appropriate compensation for the poultry farmers”. Representatives of Mechi Chamber of Commerce and Industry also organised an all-party meeting on Monday to combat the menace. Aggrieved locals, however, alleged that the government’s awareness drive was yet to take off. — Kumar Luintel

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...eDate=20090121

Bird flu comes to nepal : Panel moots relief for farmers

Himalayan News Service
Govt urged to help all those, who are bearing culling brunt

Kathmandu, January 20:

Culling continued unabated in the three-km radius of Mechinagar Municipality of Jhapa district on the third day today. So far, Rapid Response Team personnel have managed to cull 13,000 chickens and birds at Kakarbhitta since the operation began on Sunday. The government announced the outbreak of bird flu last Friday. “At a conservative estimate, around 1,500 chickens and birds are still to be culled. Fortunately, no symptom of the disease has been detected in humans yet. The outbreak is restricted to Kakarbhitta,” said Dr Pratap Kumar Pathak, Director General (DG), Department of Livestock Services.

The Committee on Natural Resources of the legislature-parliament today urged the Maoist-led government to write off the bank loans of those poultry farmers, who have been hit hard by the ongoing culling operation. The panel also wants the ruling coalition to introduce an economic rehabilitation package after three months that will help the poultry farmers to start the trade afresh. Tek Bahadur Thapa, secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC), admitted that the government had been hamstrung by acute crunch of resources to prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. “Samples can be tested in our laboratory. But, they have to be sent abroad for confirmation, which is not only time consuming but also expensive,” explained Thapa.

He cited the example of India as a case in point. “India has built a laboratory at a cost of Rs 1 billion. But it needs around Rs 300 million to run it,” added the senior official. The panel members have requested the government to review compensation for poultry farmers, who have to bear the culling brunt. “Despite heightened surveillance, poultry products and birds are still being smuggled from India at the dead of night. The porous border is proving extremely difficult to curb smuggling,” said Pathak.

Situation under control in ground zero:
JHAPA: As the culling operation gathered momentum on Tuesday, the Rapid Response Team personnel culled 3,543 chickens, 130 ducks, 21 pigeons and three parrots on the third day. Also, 724 eggs and 85 kg of poultry feed was destroyed. Dr Dilip Sapkota, chief, livestock services centre, Jhapa, maintained that the situation was under control. “Surveillance has been intensified in a radius of 10-km. Preventive measures are also in place,” he said. — HNS

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...eDate=20090121

Poultry Business in Peril in Jhapa

THT Online
Damak, January 21

Poultry business in the Jhapa district has fallen down due to the outbreak of avian influenza.
Mohan Tajpuriya owns a fresh house to sell chicken at Damak Chowk but his business is nil for the past five days.
"It was only source of earning livelihood for my family, however, I am not making a single penny these days," Tajpuriya said, adding, "I used to sell at least 30 kg of chicken everyday before the outbreak of bird flu but there is no sale now."
If the situation remained same, he would have no choice but to change the business, he said.
"I have closed the shop after the outbreak of the disease," MD Smile of Birtamod said.
Not only the chicken shops but also the poultry farmers are hit hard. Anuj Bhattarai, a poultry farmer in Budhabare, said that he was worried about his future.
"The farmers, who are running the business by taking loan from the bank, are badly hit," Parshu Sitaula, chairman of the District Poultry Farmers Association (PFA) said. "The future of over 400 poultry farmers is grim."
More than three dozens of poultry farmers of Mechinagar Municipality and adjoining areas have already abandoned their business.
The poultry entrepreneurs have demanded the government to introduce special relief for them.
"Some three crore rupees has been invested in the poultry farming in the district," Sitaula said. "Though the local administration has banned sale and distribution of the poultry products in the three km radius of the flu crisis-hit area, it has affected the business all over the district," Sitaula added.
"As the sale and distribution of the poultry product is halted, it will be better to provide us compensation by culling our chickens," he added.

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=176340

Over 13 thousand birds culled in Jhapa
Kantipur Report

JHAPA, Jan 20 - The rapid response team formed to slaughter birds and bird related items in Kakkarvitta in Jhapa district, where the bird flu virus was detected, completed its first phase of operation on Tuesday. Around 13000 birds and other bird related items were destroyed during the three-day campaign.

The government launched the campaign to control the spread of the disease by culling birds in the region following the first ever confirmation of an outbreak of the viral disease in Mechi Municipility, bordering India, declaring the region within a three-kilometer radius of Kakkarvitta as emergency.

Technical team comprising experts and doctors formed the rapid response team and started working on it from Sunday afternoon.
Central Animal Quarantine Chief and Bird flu control team coordinator Dr. Ram Krishna Khatiwada said that the first phase of the work has been completed and the second phase will begin from tomorrow.

According to Dr. Khatiwada, only the remaining small number of birds and eggs will be destroyed from tomorrow.

Saying the birds are being culled in an effective manner, Assistant Chief of Jhapa district Laxman Hamal informed that the dead chickens have been sent for laboratory tests. "The results are yet to arrive," added he.
After destroying the collected chickens, ducks and eggs from the local farmers' houses the rapid response team buried them in a nearby jungle of Tokla tea garden.

The test carried out in a UK lab confirmed the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus in the dead chickens from the poultry farm of one Ramesh Karki in Mechi Municipality-10.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture today warned that it would take strong action against the ones who do not comply with the government's campaign to cull birds in the area kept on high alert.
Posted on: 2009-01-20 07:14:02 (Server Time)

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...s&news_id=1282

Hatcheries to stop producing chicks for a week

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Jan 19: The Hatchery Association of Nepal (HAN) has decided to stop producing new chicks for about a week in order to cope with the changed situation in the poultry industry, due to the detection of bird flu in eastern Nepal.

"We will not produce chicks for a week till the situation returns to normalcy," said Narayan Kshetri, president of the Feed Industries Association. Kshetri also runs a hatchery and is a member of HAN. About 800,000 chicks are produced every week, he said. He was speaking at an interaction organized by the Reporters Club Nepal to assure people the intake of poultry products is safe in places outside a three kilometer radius from Mechinagar-10, a government-declared crisis zone, after confirmation of the presence of bird flu virus in the area.

Kshetri also said there has been a decrease of about 25 percent in the consumption of poultry products since bird flu was confirmed in Mechinagar last week. “However, the sell on Tuesday improved by about five percent,” he said.

According to Kshetri, the production of chicks was already low due to the decreased import of parent chickens. When the government banned importing poultry products from India after the detection of bird flu there, hatcheries are buying parent chickens from third countries, he said. “Currently, there is the availability of about 35 to 40 percent parent chickens.” Low production would prevail for about next three months.

A farmer invests between Rs 150 and Rs 190 per chicken before it is ready for sale.

All participants, including secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Tek Bahadur Thapa, director general of the Department of Animal Health Prabhakar Pathak, among, others, ate roast chicken served by the club during the program.

Talking to myrepublica.com, director general Pathak said over 13,000 chickens and other birds were culled before mid-Tuesday. “We have culled chickens farmed for commercial purpose,” he said. “About 1500 domestic chickens and birds are left to tackle.”

With a 40 percent fatality rate, there is no cure if the flu is transmitted to human. Approximately 248 people have died worldwide since bird flu was detected in 1997, said secretary Thapa. “Nepal is the 26th country to report the detection of bird flu,” he said.

Swollen and edematous head, running nose, sub-coetaneous hemorrhages in the legs and foot pads are symptoms seen in chickens infected with the flu, Thapa said.

Meanwhile, a report from Mahendranagar said that the government is set to establish check-posts in Karnali bridge and Saule in Dadeldhura. “Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the problem, we have decided to form check-posts,” said Dr Karna Bahadur Bogati, regional director of the Animal Health Division.

Chief District Officer Him Nath Dawadi said the police administration has been informed about the high alert in the area.

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/01/...6311232583510/

Nepal killing poultry to fight avian flu

KATHMANDU, Nepal, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Avian flu has been detected in southeastern Nepal, prompting authorities to begin slaughtering thousands of poultry, U.N. health officials said Wednesday.

The U.N. World Health Organization said in a statement issued at the United Nations' headquarters in New York that about 13,000 birds were being culled in the Jhapa district. The slaughter is part of the Nepalese government's precautionary measures aimed at reducing the risk that the H5N1 strain of bird flu will spread, the U.N. health agency said.

The government officially declared the outbreak Jan. 16 after samples of dead chickens collected in the Jhapa district were tested.

Outbreaks were reported last month in the bordering Indian states of West Bengal and Assam.

WHO said it helped the Nepalese Ministry of Health and Population train the district's health workers on rapid avian influenza containment and outbreak investigation last June and organized workshops on countering human infections.

WHO said it has provided essential supplies -- including 15,000 Tamiflu capsules, personal protection kits, intensive care unit equipment and other medical and disinfection reagents -- to prepare health workers in the region for cases of human infections.

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.as...29618&Cr=&Cr1=

Avian flu outbreak leads to culling of over 10,000 birds in Nepal – UN agency

21 January 2009 – Nepalese authorities have begun slaughtering thousands of poultry and disposing of their carcasses in response to an outbreak of bird flu in the south-eastern region of the country, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

The Government officially declared the outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain on 16 January after samples of dead chickens collected in the Jhapa district earlier in the week were tested.

The culling of around 13,000 birds in Jhapa is part of the Government’s precautionary measures aimed at reducing the risk of an avian influenza epidemic after outbreaks in the bordering Indian states of West Bengal and Assam were reported in December.

With technical support from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), authorities have declared districts bordering India as “High Risk Zones,” initiating active poultry surveillance and reinforcing quarantine posts at the four transit points, banning the import of poultry products and feeds from India, and disinfecting vehicles entering Nepal.

In other efforts to resist the spread of bird flu, the Ministry of Health and Population – with the support of WHO – trained the district’s health workers on rapid avian influenza containment and outbreak investigation last June and organized workshops on countering human infections.

WHO has provided essential supplies – including 15,000 Tamiflu capsules, personal protection kits, intensive care unit equipment and other medical and disinfection reagents – to prepare health workers in the region for cases of human infections.

[sharon sanders]

hat tip Treyfish -


Bird flu virus not found in Mid-West’s 3 districts


By Our Correspondent

Butwal, Jan 22

Despite the detection of bird flu virus in Jhapa, no symptom of the disease has so far been traced in three districts of west Terai- Rupandehi, Nawalprasi and Kapilsvastu.

Although these districts fall into the category of red zone areas for the flu as they share open borders with India, bird experts here have said that people in these districts need not worry of the flu while consuming well-cooked chicken meat.

On the other hand, due to the publicity the flu is getting, the poultry entrepreneurs of the districts are fearful that their one billion rupee business may collapse due to the nervousness among the consumers. They said that due to the "over publicity" of the disease, the business has witnessed 30 per cent drop.

According to Bijay Kant Jha, Chief at the Regional Animal Quarantine, Bhairahawa, the disease can be controlled if the government, media, poultry entrepreneurs and consumers make concerted efforts.

He however said that the entrepreneurs must remain alert to stop the spread of the disease, because the districts are in grave danger due to their porous border. Jha advised the government to deploy effective patrolling mechanism to monitor the areas where smuggling is rampant.

Dr. Bhagelu Prasad Yadav, another animal expert said that these districts were not affected by the dreaded flu and the chance of contacting the disease from Indian side was very low.

He said that due to higher price of chicken meat in India, the Indian chickens are less likely to enter Nepal. He however warned not to consume cheaper white eggs being imported or smuggled from India in large scale into Nepal.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the hatchery entrepreneurs of the three districts has decided to stop the import of poultry products from India and set up checkposts in Daunne and to run awareness programme at the Nepali side of Nepa-India border areas on their own initiation. The meeting has also formed a 19-member working committee under Hom Bahadur Galami’s chairmanship.

http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/rising...3447&cat_id=27

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/200...n24/news08.php

Second phase of anti-bird flu drive starts in eastern Nepal

Authorities have launched the second phase of programme to prevent the possible spread bird flu, in Jhapa district, where the disease was traced in chicken.

Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said thousands of chicken and other birds were culled and poultry products destroyed in Mechinagar Municipality, Jhapa, during the first phase of anti-bird flu drive.

The 2nd-phase, which will continue for three months, will include cleaning programmes in sensitive places like poultry firms and sales stores.

The government had issued bird flu alert in Mechinagar on January 16.

Meanwhile, as part of the anti-bird flu surveillance, the Home Ministry has banned transportation of live birds and poultry products in buses and other public vehicles.

The ministry in a statement Saturday said police officials can take action against anybody found carrying chicken and other live birds while using public transport. nepalnews.com Jan mk 24 09

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite...B?OpenDocument

Nepal rules out spread of bird flu in eastern district



Kathmandu, Jan 24 (PTI) Nepal has ruled out the spread of bird flu in the hilly district of Sankhuwasabha amid reports that the eastern region bordering China is faced with threats from the deadly virus.
The authorities in Nepal, which has culled thousands of birds in Mechinagar municipality bordering India to check the spread of the flu, said they had no information about any case in Sankhuwasabha.

Hari Dahal, spokesman at Nepal's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the government had no information about bird flu cases in Sankhuwasabha.

According to a report in the Kantipur online, there is panic among the villagers of Sankhuwasabha district bordering China over the possible outbreak of bird flu.

Over 3,000 chickens have died in bordering VDCs, including Kimathanka, Hatiya and Chaipuwa in course of two months, and the number is increasing, veterinarian doctor Pushpa Bahadur Budathoki said.

"We're not sure if we are dealing with bird flu here, though some symptoms are strikingly similar," he was quoted as saying in the Kantipur report.

The government has listed 26 districts as bird flu-prone zones, though Sankhuwa-sabha, which shares open border with China, is not on the list, the report said. PTI

[HenryN]

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...8,3.186035&z=8

[HenryN]

Bird flu threat in Sankhuwasabha



SURENDRA SUBEDI
SANKHUWASABHA, Jan 24 - People living in villages bordering China fear bird flu has made inroads into Sankhuwasabha district as well.
They are panicking ever since chickens started dying from an unidentified disease two months ago. The villagers maintain that the affected birds are exhibiting some symptoms that are common among bird flu-infected chickens.
Over 3,000 chickens have died in bordering VDCs, including Kimathanka, Hatiya and Chaipuwa in course of two months, and the number is increasing, said veterinarian Pushpa Bahadur Budathoki.
"We're not sure if we are dealing with bird flu here, though some symptoms are strikingly similar," he said.
We have collected saliva and fecal samples of the diseased birds and plan to send them to Kathmandu for tests so as to identify the disease, Budathoki said.
The government has listed 26 districts as bird flu-prone zones, though Sankhuwa-sabha, which shares open border with China, is not on the list.
Meanwhile, three major political parties have decided to mobilise their cadres in bordering areas of Jhapa district to stop illegal import of poultries from India. The Unified CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML will deploy cadres of their youth wings to help security personnel stop the import of chickens, ducks and poultry products from India.



Posted on: 2009-01-23 21:06:33

http://www.kantipuronline.com/capsule.php?&nid=176912

[HenryN]

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01...try_Nepal.html

[HenryN]

Poultry import on flouting ban



Kantipur Report
NEPALGUNJ, Jan 23 - Chickens and eggs are being imported in large quantities into Nepalgunj from India even though the government has banned the import of poultry products in an effort to control the spread of bird flu.
The authorities have been paying no attention even though imported chickens and eggs are being sold openly in the district. Banke district's daily requirement of poultry stands at 1,800 kg, and imports have been soaring despite the ban as local production is unable to fulfil the demand. However, Dr. Munnilal Chaudhary, chief of the Livestock Quarantine Regional Office in Nepalgunj, denied charges that poultry products were being imported openly. He conceded that they could have been brought in through clandestine routes. Banke's Chief District Officer Ganesh Bahadur Khatri said that strict orders had been given to the Customs Office, the Border Police Post and the Livestock Quarantine Office to prevent poultry products from entering the country.



Posted on: 2009-01-22 21:00:15

http://www.kantipuronline.com/capsule.php?&nid=176757

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/200...n26/news13.php

Govt says no case of bird- flu reported in other parts of the country

The government has said that apart from eastern Nepal district of Jhapa no case of bird- flu was reported in other parts of the country.

Issuing a press release Sunday to dispel rumors about the spread of the bird flu in various parts of the country including capital Kathmandu, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said no case of the bird-flu virus was found other than in Kakadbhitta of Jhapa.

Kakadbhitta is a bordering town adjacent to India's West Bengal state.

The release also states that regular tests were being carried out on birds that have died in various parts of the country since the outbreak in Jhapa.

Talking to mediapersons at his office Sunday, spokesperson at the ministry of agriculture and cooperatives, Hari Dahal said that no person has been infected with the bird flu virus in Kathmandu or elsewhere in the country, and that the mass media has tried to create panic among valley denizens by claiming that bird flu has entered the valley

The Himalayan Times quoted him as saying that the authorities in the valley were prepared to tackle the problem and that the quarantine process had been tightened in different parts of the country from where birds used to be imported to the valley.

The news of bird flu outbreak in eastern Nepal last week has sent shockwaves across the country with people in Kathmandu and other parts of the country shunning consumption of poultry products.

Meanwhile, the Dharan based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) has also denied reports appearing in different media that two persons being treated at the hospital were infected with the avian virus.

In a press release issued Sunday, Director of the BPKIHS, Dr BP Das clarified that the patients Santosh Dahal and Hum Bahadur were admitted three days ago for treatment of pneumonia, not bird-flu. nepalnews.com Jan 26 09

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...eDate=20090127

Poultry Import Banned in Sankhuwasabha

THT Online
Sankhuwasabha, January 27

The supply of chicken and poultry products via Tamaphok and Baireni checkpoints has been banned in Sankhuwasabha district in the wake of bird flu outbreak in Jhapa. The district has been declared as a sensitive zone for the disease.
As the checkpoints have their link with the Tarai districts, import of poultry products have been banned, Dr Pushpa Bahadur Budhathoki, chief at District Livestock Services Office, said.
The ban was imposed as a preventive measure to check the spread of the disease, CDO Tulasi Prasad Gautam said.
Poultry products used to be brought to the district from the Tarai districts like Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari.
Police inspector Dhan Prasad Siwakoti said additional policemen were deployed to see to it that the banned products do not find their way into the district.
Import of poultry products from China has also been banned, the Kimathanka border police post said.

[ironorehopper]

IRIN Asia - NEPAL: On alert against bird flu

NEPAL: On alert against bird flu

KATHMANDU, 27 January 2009 (IRIN) -

The authorities in southeastern Nepal are stepping up anti-bird flu measures after the first case of a bird found to have the deadly H5NI virus was discovered earlier this month. There have been no reports of humans affected.


To date 26 out of 75 districts in the densely populated Terai region in the south of the country bordering India have been placed on high alert.

The move follows the virus’s detection in the town of Kakarvitta, Jhapa District, bordering on the Indian state of West Bengal, nearly 450km southeast of Kathmandu, on 16 January.

“We are taking all measures to prevent further infections among birds,” said Manas Kumar Banerjee, coordinator of the Health Ministry’s Avian Influenza Control Project (AICP).

An emergency cabinet meeting on 19 January ordered the culling of all birds within 3km of Kakarvitta. As of 26 January, more than 23,000 had been culled. All poultry meat, eggs and production facilities in the area were to be destroyed.

The Word Health Organization (WHO) described a January 2008 outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal as the worst ever in India.

The decision to ban poultry products would remain in tact unless international institutions certified that an epidemic no longer existed in India, according to Dalaram Pradhan, director-general at the government’s Department of Livestock Services (DLS).

The authorities have also warned Nepalese traders against illegally importing birds, promising firm action against violators.

Police and health officials have started checking vehicles suspected of carrying birds or poultry meat from India, and more than 50 families with coughs or respiratory problems have been investigated.

Kathmandu has sought New Delhi's help in controlling the spread of bird flu, as well as stopping the illegal export of birds.

Preparedness
Since 2006 when bird flu was detected in India, the AICP has been supported by the UN and World Bank, and the latter has provided a grant of more than US$18 million for the AICP over four years.

Although there have been bans by the authorities on the import of Indian poultry and eggs, they were very poorly implemented, said a local public health expert.

In the past the UN has warned that Nepal was vulnerable, given the large number of migrating birds.

According to the WHO, since 2003 there have been 399 confirmed human cases of avian influenza worldwide, of whom 251 died.

WHO remains concerned that the H5N1 virus might mutate or combine with a highly contagious seasonal influenza virus to spark a pandemic that could kill millions of people.

nn/ds/cb
-

IRIN Asia | Asia | Nepal | NEPAL: On alert against bird flu | Avian Flu Early Warning Health & Nutrition | News Item

[HenryN]

Poultry industry is on the verge of collapse: NPFA chairman
The fear of bird flu has adversely affected the poultry industry of the country. It is estimated that the industry is losing a whopping Rs 5 million everyday due to declining confidence of consumers towards chicken products.
In his conversation with nepalnews.com, Gokarna Ghimire, president, National Poultry Farmer’s Association (NPFA), speaks about some vital aspects related to the impact of fear of bird flu on the country’s poultry business. Excerpts:
As the president of National Poultry Farmers’ Association, how do you opine the panic among people regarding the outbreak of bird flue in Nepal?
First of all, what I want to clear is that the mass media is trying to create terror amongst the people the bird flu virus has entered into other parts of the country including Kathmandu valley. The media reports are based on fallacious premise. The government announced the outbreak of bird flu in Jhapa district some days back. And if the epidemic had really spread to other areas including the capital city, the government would have already taken preventive measures like it did in Mechinagar Municipality of Jhapa district. Moreover, the concerned bodies have also made it clear that the disease has not spread to other parts of the country except Jhapa.
To what extent the poultry business has been affected?
In fact, the fear of bird flue has caused the poultry industry to witness a steep tumble of some 35 percent. The industry is losing about 5 million Nepali rupees every day. Prices and consumption rate of chicken products have gone down drastically. The downward spiral in the poultry business is affecting some sixty-five thousand households across the country. As many as a half million people who are directly or indirectly linked to the poultry farming are suffering from the brunt of bird flu. About 16 billion Nepali rupees have been invested in poultry industry and nearly 150,000 kg of chicken are produced every day in Nepal. If no action is taken towards dispelling the widespread fear of this disease, the industry is bound to face a debacle.
So, are the concerned entrepreneurs pressurising the government for any relief package to insulate the poultry business?
Yes, talks are going on in this regard. We have formed a separate committee and forwarded a seven-point demand to Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal to prevent the poultry industry from getting ruined. The demands include that the government should inform about every measure it is taking to cope with the menace of bird flue since it was detected in the country. We have requested him to dispel misleading rumours about the disease. Similarly, we have urged the concerned bodies to adopt a safe and scientific way in transportation of poultry products. The seven-point demand also urges the government to make arrangement to provide due compensation to those poultry farmers who have been hit hard by the epidemic. In a linear fashion, we have urged the government to keep strict surveillance on the imports of chicken products by way of taking required measures in quarantine check posts in the country. The seven-point demand also calls the government to rehabilitate the poultry industry for economic development of the country.
Do you have anything to convey to consumers of chicken products?
What I want to assure them they need not to be terrorized by unauthenticated media reports regarding the spread of bird flu. We poultry farmers are also serious about our responsibility towards the society in which we operate. We are also well aware about the fact that the supply of infected products in the market for the sake of only monetary benefit is wrong. nepalnews.com Jan 27 09

http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/200...nterview02.php

[HenryN]

More than 1,000 chickens die from unknown disease in central Nepal

www.chinaview.cn 2009-01-28 11:57:23

Print

KATHMANDU, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 local chickens have died from unknown disease in a village in Sindhuli district in central Nepal, the National News Agency RSS reported on Wednesday. According to the RSS, the chickens died from the disease, that has spread for the past few days, said a local. She said 75 local chickens died in her house alone. They died with swollen throat and accumulation of water. The disease is not identified and the whole village, some 40 km southeast of Kathmandu, is in terror, the RSS said. Technical team from the District Livestock Office has not reached so far, whereas technician of the office Tika Shrestha said the outbreak was because no medicines were given to the chickens in time. Earlier, Nepal started culling birds from Jan. 16 in Kakarvittaof Jhapa District, which is a bird flu emergency area. It was the first time to detect the disease in Nepal.

Editor: Yao

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10728929.htm