Bird Flu reaches UP, two red jungle fowls tested positive in Kanpur Zoo

Lucknow, 10 January (HS) :    Uttar Pradesh recorded its first cases of Bird Flu after samples taken from two dead red jungle fowls of Kanpur Zoological Park (Kanpur Zoo) tested positive.  After the flu was confirmed the zoo was closed. The zoo administration has ordered the killing of the birds present in all the enclosures.

According to the Deputy Directorof Kanpur Zoo, Dr AK Singh  four red jungle fowls died in the zoo a couple of days back. The samples of the dead birds were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal. The report that comes from the Bhopal lab on Saturday night confirmed Bird Flu in two of the dead red jungle fowls.

He said that in order to check the spread of the virus among other birds a decision has been taken to cull all the red jungle fowls and other birds that might have come in contact with them in the zoo.

Following the outbreak of Bird Flu the Kanpur Zoo has been closed for 15 days, he said. The sale of meat within a radius of 10 Km from the zoo has been banned. Besides, one Km area has been declared a containment zone.

The state government stepped up vigil after the outbreak of bird flu in the Kanpur zoo. UP is now the seventh state of the country where avian influenza was confirmed.