Xinhua
Dhaka, Feb 27 (Xinhua) Nearly 70,000 fowls were culled and 2,35,408 eggs destroyed in the last two days in three districts of Bangladesh following detection of the deadly H1N5 avian influenza virus, The Daily Star reported Wednesday. Personnel from the livestock department have culled 58,130 chickens and destroyed 226,813 eggs from a poultry farm in Mymensingh district, about 120 km north of capital Dhaka. Bird flu infection was detected at the farm Feb 23, officials said.

In Boalkhali in Chittagong district, at least 2,333 chickens, pigeons and ducks were culled from a farm and 140 eggs were destroyed, according to officials.

In the western district of Pabna, 2,804 fowls were culled and 8,455 eggs destroyed at a farm. In addition, 300 ducks, pigeons and fowls were culled from nearby houses Monday.

The bird flu, which broke out in March last year, became serious early this year, forcing thousands of farms to close down and leaving tens of thousands jobless.

So far, 1,058,778 fowls have been culled and 1,456,551 eggs destroyed in 44 out of 64 districts of the country, according to an official estimate.
Xinhua