Bird flu detected in Meghalaya, culling begins

Shillong, Jan 12 (PTI) The Meghalaya administration today began culling of chickens in and around a government-run farm in East Garo Hills district following reports of Bird flu there, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said. Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory confirmed presence of the virus in blood samples of the fowls in the farm last evening, he said. While one team had been pressed into service for culling at the farm having more than 6000 birds, another was busy in nearby villages within a radius of 10 km. The district administration has alerted the adjacent West and South Garo Hills districts as well as Assam's Goalpara, Dhubri and Kamrup districts, official sources said.