Bird Flu Hit 140,000 Nepali Poultry in July
NEPAL - A total of 21 outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were reported in the Bagmati, Gandaki and Narayani regions in July.The veterinary authority has sent Follow Up Report No. 10 dated 9 September to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
The report outlines nine outbreaks of HPAI, starting between 28 June and 15 July and all in the central region of Bagmati, which includes Kathmandu.
One of the outbreaks involved one house crow but the rest were in domestic poultry. A total of 28,545 birds were involved - including commercial layers, breeders and broilers as well as backyard/village flocks - of which 4,495 died and 24,050 were destroyed.
The presence of the H5N1 subtype of the virus has been confirmed.
Cleaning and disinfection activities in the infected premises are completed, the report adds, and intensive surveillance activities are ongoing throughout the country.
A second report - Follow Up Report No. 11 dated 11 September - was issued on 11 September, reporting a further 12 HPAI outbreaks starting between 17 and 24 July, involving 111,764 birds, of which 19,385 died and 92,379 were destroyed. Again, the birds included commercial and backyard flocks, nine of which were in the same region of Bagmati but also affected were the neighbouring regions of Gandaki (two outbreaks) and Narayani (one outbreak).