GORAKHPUR: All poultry shops in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh were asked on Saturday to shut for 21 days following detection of avian influenza strains, H5N1 and H9N2, in bird samples from five localities in the city.Samples were taken at Jhungia Bazar, Aluminium Factory area, Taramandal, Bhagat Chauraha, and Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoological Park. These were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) at Bhopal in MP, which confirmed the presence of both strains of the virus.The chief veterinary officer (CVO) activated district-level Rapid Response Teams and set up a control room at the Sadar Veterinary Hospital to handle the outbreak.Following the confirmation, additional municipal commissioner, Nirankar Singh, said as per central govt guidelines, culling operations have begun within a 1km radius of the infected zones. All live birds within this zone will be culled and disinfection drives are underway there.The CVO appealed to the public not to heed to rumours and to cooperate with the administration. A total of 1,328 samples from Gorakhpur and 1,470 samples from the Gorakhpur-Basti division were tested during the surveillance exercise.The bird flu started from Gorakhpur zoo where four animals – a lion on April 30, leopard Mona on May 8, tigress Shakti on May 7, and a wolf – have so far succumbed to the virus. The zoo has already been shut for containment measures.
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