Saturday, March 18 2006 11:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A total of 63,000 birds have been culled in the four talukas of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, which reported a fresh outbreak of avian influenza, and the operation is likely to be completed in the next 48 hours, a top official said.

"The situation is under control in Jalgaon, where 63,000 backyard poultry have been culled till this afternoon," Animal Husbandry Secretary P M A Hakeem told sources.

He said culling operation is likely to continue for the next two days, by when not only all backyard poultry would be culled, but cleaning and disinfections operations would also be completed.

Additional 60 teams have been deployed in the affected talukas for disinfecting the houses, where the birds were kept.

Contract workers, along with personnel from Malaria control wing of the Public Health Department, would be deployed to undertake the spraying operations.

The bamboo baskets in which the birds are generally kept are being destroyed by burning, Hakeem said.

Flaming and spraying would be done to disinfect steel wire cages used for keeping birds, he added.

The rooms in which the birds are generally kept would be whitewashed.

The secretary said regular surveillance mechanism has been put in place throughout the nation and any case of animal death is being taken note of by the animal husbandry authorities.

"There is nothing to worry," he added.