Bird flu scare in Malda,West Bengal

PTI reports - Over 700 chicken died at the National Poultry Farm here during the past few days, triggering a bird flu scare in the district. Official sources said here Tuesday that 145 chicken died during the past 24 hours and the toll is increasing steadily.

This was for the first time that farm chicken have died due to bird flu symptoms in West Bengal as the earlier outbreak of the disease was confined to backyard poultry.

Blood samples have been sent to High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal and the report would take about 12 to 14 days to reach here, the sources said, adding selling of chicken and eggs from the Farm had been banned.

The Farm has about 15,000 chickens, district Animal Resources Development Department said.