Bird flu found in Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa; 11,000 chickens culled

Biratnagar, March 24

Bird flu has been detected in three major districts of Koshi Province—Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa. According to the Animal Disease Investigation Laboratory in Biratnagar, the infection has been confirmed at five locations in Morang, five in Sunsari and one in Jhapa.

In recent days, deaths of broiler and layer chickens have been increasing. The laboratory has been receiving five to seven farmers daily bringing dead chickens for testing. Samples that appear suspicious in Biratnagar are sent to the Central Animal Disease Investigation Laboratory in Kathmandu for further confirmation.

According to Dr Ajay Kumar Sah, chief of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre, Morang, bird flu has been confirmed at several farms including Dahal Krishi Farm in Biratnagar-4 and others across the district. Authorities have sealed affected areas and begun culling birds and destroying related materials.

At Dahal Krishi Farm, 6,000 layer chickens were kept, of which 3,000 died naturally and the remaining were culled. In Sunsari, the largest loss occurred at Oko Krishi Farm in Itahari-19, where 11,020 chickens were destroyed.

Bird flu was also confirmed at a farm in Damak-10, Jhapa. Government teams have initiated a “stamping out” process in affected areas, destroying infected birds, eggs, feed and bedding materials.

Laboratory chief Dr Kamal Giri said that 11 out of 50 tested samples were confirmed as H5N1, a highly dangerous virus that can also infect humans. Since last July, 45 out of 198 samples tested at the central laboratory have been confirmed as bird flu.

He also noted that many farmers lack basic poultry farming knowledge, increasing the risk of disease spread, and stressed the need for training in health management and biosecurity.

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