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Suspected bird flu case in Bingiriya

01 Feb 2012 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Health Ministry this morning called for a full investigation on the Bingiriya chicken farm which had a suspected case of bird flu after 1,000 chickens were found dead including one which showed symptoms of the flu, ministry officials said.

Ministry officials said two groups of experts from the Health Ministry as well as the Livestock and Animal Production Department of the Agricultural ministry had carried out tests to determine the cause of the deaths and symptoms showed by the rooster with suspected bird flu symptoms.

“Based on the results of the tests carried out the researchers will decide what would be done to remedy the problem to ensure that no more chickens are affected,” ministry officials said.

Meanwhile the All-Island Poultry Association said that the chickens in the Bingiriya farm had been affected by a virus since November last year. He said that since then about three birds had been dying each day and that out of some 5,000 chickens, 30% had already died. However he said the virus was not bird flu.

“Whatever it is, it is not infectious and it does not affect human beings. It should not raise alarm as if it was bird flu it would spread like wild fire. This is not the case. Sri Lanka is 100% free of bird flu,” the association’s Chairman D.D. Wanasinghe said.

He said it should not affect the industry as the virus would not affect people and that there has been no change in the demand for chicken so far. Meanwhile it had been reported that the sale of eggs and chicken at the Bingiriya farm had been temporarily suspended. (Olindhi Jayasundere)

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Suspected bird flu case in Bingiriya

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