Sunday, February 19 2006 10:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Authorities in Maharashtra have started culling over eight lakh chickens and vaccinating another two lakh to stop the spread of the deadly avian flu virus in Navapur tehsil of Nandurbar district, sources said here today (Feb 19,2006).

The authorities are monitoring any possible infection to humans, the sources said adding that local body and district officials were engaged in the operation against spread of the disease.

Sources said some poultry owners in Nandurbar district had started culling the birds since last night.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh spoke to Animal Husbandry Minister Anees Ahmed and Public Health Minister Dr Vimal Mundada and instructed them to take steps to check the spread of the disease, the sources said.

Mundada said health department officials would be conducting house-to-house survey to find if anybody was affected by the disease.

Twenty medical teams have been assigned this task, she added.