AGARTALA, March 6 � Tripura Government has launched fresh culling operation at Bridrinagar gram panchayat areas, close to government-run R K Nagar Farm where hundreds of ducks died of avian influenza last month.
As many as 116 birds were culled at Bridrinagar, 7.5 km from here yesterday, Joint Director of Animal Resource Development Department (ARDD) Jyotirmoy Chakra-borty said today.
He said the Centre had clearly instructed to go for fresh culling within three km radius of the affected area, R K Nagar Farm, where mass-culling operation was carried out in February.
Altogether 16 Rapid Response Teams have been inducted in the culling operation that will cover around 12 to 15 villages of West Tripura district over the next few days, he said.
Experts from Indian Veterinary Research Institute, were also in the State to oversee the culling operation and follow-up action undertaken by the ARDD, Chakraborty said.
There was a report of outbreak of avian flu in another government-run farm at Gandhigram where 380 chicks and ducks died since March 1, he said.
�We have sent samples to the High Security Animal Disease Research Laboratory for test and are waiting for report,� he said.
However, Chakraborty made it clear that there was no report of avian flu in Sipahijala Wildlife Sanctuary though few birds were found �mysteriously� dead over the past few days.
�We have carried out histo- pathological test on a carcass at our laboratory here but no (avian influenza) symptom has been found,� he said, adding another carcass has been sent to High Security Animal Resource Disease Laboratory for postmortem. � PTI
