1,000 Birds Culled, 14,000 Eggs Destroyed After Bird Flu Detected In Govt Hatchery A rapid response team from the animal husbandry department culled approximately 1,000 poultry birds and destroyed nearly 14,000 eggs at the Govt Central Hatchery in Seminary Hills, Nagpur, late Monday night. The action was taken as a precautionary measure following the confirmation of the highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza virus. The hatchery had previously experienced a bird flu outbreak in 2024, and officials suspect the virus may have spread from migratory birds visiting nearby Futala Lake during the winter months. The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal and the Disease Investigation Section in Pune confirmed that poultry samples from the hatchery tested positive for the H5N1 virus. The confirmation came after initial suspicions arose in early March, prompting the collection of samples for testing. Officials noted that while treatment was attempted initially, the presence of the virus in even a single bird necessitated the culling of the entire stock to prevent further spread. On Tuesday, collector Vipin Itankar declared a 1-kilometer radius around the hatchery as an infected zone and a 9-kilometer radius as a surveillance zone. This led to a 21-day ban on the purchase, sale, transport, and exhibitions of poultry, eggs, and feed within the infected area. Movement of all bird species in the affected zone was also prohibited. Poultry shops and bird markets in the surveillance zone were ordered to remain closed during this period. The hatchery, which supplies chicks to rural farmers under government schemes, maintains multiple poultry breeds, including Kaveri and Aseel, for both egg and meat production.#nagpur #bhopal #seminary_hills #govt_central_hatchery #nihsad
