Friday, March 31 2006 14:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jalgaon: About 50,000 chickens have been culled in six tehsils of bird-flu affected Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, according to official sources.

Altogether 500 health workers were engaged in the culling operation in six tehsils of the district under the supervision of senior Animal Husbandry officials and the District Collector Vijay Singhal, they said.

Special cells were set up at Jalgaon Civil Hospital, at sub-district hospital at Chopda and Rural Hospital at Nhavi for suspected cases of birdflu, according to Civil Surgeon Dr A C Patil.

"Similar wards were also opened at Varad in Chopda tehsil, Bodarde in Parola, Utran in Erandol taluka and also at Erandol, Paldhi in Dharangaon tehsil, Bhadgaon, Ichhapur in Burhanpur," he added.

"Special cells were also opened at Parola in Cottage Hospital, and sub-district hospital at Muktai nagar as 22 villages fell within its 3-km radius and 265 villages within its 3-10 km radius," Dr Patil said.

Teams from New Delhi and Pune have arrived at Jalgaon to check its spread and monitor the situation as well as conduct house to house to survey of patients.