Poultry birds seized, culled in Orissa

BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to prevent an outbreak of birdflu in Orissa, state government officials have seized about 4,000 poultry chicks illegally brought from neighbouring West Bengal and culled the birds, official sources said.
    
While 2,000 chicks were seized near Laxman Nath check gate in Balasore district on Wednesday from a trader who brought them from West Bengal, nearly as many birds were seized today, the sources said.
    
These chicks were brought in violation of the ban on the movement of poultry and poultry products imposed by the state government in bordering districts, chief veterinary officer of Balasore Raj Kishore Dutta said.
    
Culling operation of the seized poultry chicks, whose blood samples have been collected for examination, has started as a precautionary measure, a senior official said.
    
Not a single case of avian flu has been found from any part of the state so far, he said.
    
As a preventive measure, all the major check gates in districts adjoining West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have been sealed and strict vigil was maintained on roads connecting the neighbouring states to restrict movement of poultry and poultry products into Orissa, he said.
    
Prohibitory orders under section 144 were also clamped in villages bordering West Bengal in districts like Balasore and Mayurbhanj, the official said.
    
Vaccination drive was on in these areas and medical teams as well as rapid response teams formed to check spread of the deadly disease.