Maharashtra: Around 220 domestic chicken found dead in Palghar

MUMBAI: After Mumbai and Thane, around 220 American breed domestic chicken and a few crows were found dead in villages in Palghar district. The samples have been sent for testing for bird flu.
Last week, samples of birds found dead in Mumbai’s Chembur and Thane tested positive for avian influenza. Maharashtra along with states like Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Kerala has confirmed bird flu deaths.
In Girale village of Palghar, a poultry farm owner reported the death of around 220 Rhode Island Red (RIR) chicken on Monday.District Animal Husbandry officer Dr Ajit Hirve confirmed the deaths and said that five samples of RIR have been sent for testing to Animal Diseases Investigation department in Pune and the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal.
Six crows were also found dead in Dahanu and Vedi villages of the district in the past three days. The deaths were reported to district officers by villagers. Samples of the crows have been sent for testing.
Poultry owners in the district have been told to be on high alert since the bird flu scare hit the state. In Chembur, 10 crows were found dead and in Thane 13 pond ergets were found dead. Their samples tested positive for avian influenza.
Culling of birds in affected areas in the state is underway. The Animal Husbandry department has set up a helpline number (18002330418)