The two reported women victim died of symptoms like common cold and fever, at the Teaching Hospital of College of Medical Sciences in Bharatpur.

Suspecting that Bird Flu virus might be the cause, the hospital has informed the District Public Health Office (DPHO), though the hospital did not take any test samples to ascertain its suspicion.

Meanwhile another similar patient is being treated for avian influenza virus (H5N1) in the hospital’s ICU. The victim, who is also a woman is being administered Tamiflu, a antiviral used in treating Bird Flu.

Test samples from this patient have been sent to the National Public Health Laboratory in Kathmandu for the confirmation of suspected virus.

He denied accepting that the patient, dead and alive, were affected with the Bird Flu virus just because drugs used to cure Bird Flu were used on them. He said that nothing can be said on the case unless medical test report arrived from the laboratary. The results are expected to come within a week.

So far no transmission of bird-to-human bird flu has been reported so far in Nepal.

KATHMANDU: Director General of Veterinary Services Department Nar Bahadur Rajwar has shown green flag for consuming chicken without the fear of being infected by Bird Flu virus.

Speaking at the Reporters Club Nepal on Sunday, Rajwar said that the Bird Flu virus was under control as all poultries in areas surrounding the capital were scanned for the infection and purged of the virus.

While munching some of the roast chicken at the program organized by the poultry farmers, entrepreneurs and distributors, he said that the chicken supplied to the market was marketed from poultries that have not been affected by the virus.

He appreciated the efforts of all stakeholders in controlling the virus and said that areas that are presently restricted from poultry farming will be made open soon for continuing the farming.

Program director at the Veterinary Services Directorate Dr Bijay Kant Jha on the occasion explained that culling chickens in the affected area was the only option to curb and contain the spreading of the virus.

He said that none of the Nepalese have been known of being affected by the virus while stating that 365 humans across the world have been known of being affected by the virus on the occasion.

They also submitted a five-point memorandum to Chief District Officer Durga Prasad Bhandari, seeking proper compensation to poultry farmers who suffered a huge loss following to an outbreak of bird flu.

They have demanded that the government resume supply of healthy chickens kept in the district-based farms after going through necessary checks. Poultry Farmers’ Association Kavre Chairman Bhojraj Dahal expressed concerns over possible ruin of their business.

According to the District Livestock Service Office Kavre, around Rs. two billion has been invested in poultry business in the district.

Around 60 poultry farms in the district are registered whereas the number of unregistered is around 100 giving employment to some 5,000 people in the sector.

BHAKTAPUR: Preparations are on to declare Bhaktapur as bird flu prone area after efforts at controlling the disease became unsuccessful.

The Department of Livestock Services gave out the information in the discussion held between the Department and the poultry farmers at the Department today. According to the Department officials, preparations are being made to cull all chicken in Bhaktapur.

The decision to declare the Bhaktapur district as the bird flu hazard zone was taken in a bid to control the spread of the bird disease as it was suspected in the discussions among the poultry entrepreneurs, the Department officials and the stakeholders that the infection of the disease spread from Bhaktapur itself.

Spokesperson for the Livestock Services Directorate Dr Narayan Prasad Ghimire said the discussion was held among the poultry entrepreneurs, office-bearers of the Department and the stakeholders to adopt new steps to control the disease in the light of the avian influenza still not coming under control in the district.

It is stated that the discussion was fruitful in that the poultry farmers and traders expressed their commitment to extend their full cooperation. Extensive discussions were also held on adopting new ways and a decision about it would be taken tomorrow.

Ghimire said that after the discussion it was concluded that with the district declared as bird flu hazard zone, all the chickens and fowls would be culled and the poultry products destroyed in the district, RSS reports.
Chief District Officer Himnath Dawadi said that preparations were being made to declare the district as bird-free prone zone.

BHAKTAPUR: Chickens at three more poultry farms in Bhaktapur district have been confirmed to be infected with bird flu (H5N1) virus.

Bird flu was found in the chickens at the GJ Poultry Farm at Nakhel -2, at a poultry farm owned by Bimal Dhimasu at Lakulachhe in Bhaktapur Municipality and at the poultry farm owned by Krishna Ram Chhushyabaga at Bageshwari VDC in the district, the District Livestock Service Office, Bhaktapur stated.

The birds at these farms have been culled at the instructions of the Chief District Officer Himnath Dawadi after the veterinary laboratory at Tripureshwar confirmed bird flu infection at these three farms on Tuesday evening.

A team of veterinarians killed 5,220 chickens and destroyed 850 kilogrammes of feed at these farms on Tuesday night.

Chief District Officer Dawadi has instructed the District Livestock Service Office and the police to keep a round-the-clock watch and adopt strong measures so that the infected chickens and eggs are not smuggled out.

Chickens at the Himal Poultry Farm at Sipadol-2 were culled before this on Saturday after the confirmation of bird flu infection.

JHAPA: Bird flu has been confirmed in two poultry farms in Jhapa district. With  this, 13 cases of bird flu have been detected in various parts of Jhapa district in the last two months.

The District Livestock Office, Bhadrapur, said that cases of the bird flu were confirmed in the chicken reared by Raju Bhudhathoki of Prithvinagar-5 and Subhash Khadka of Chandragadhi.

A rapid response team culled 1,270 chicken from the poultry farm of Budhathoki while 151 chickens was destroyed from the poultry farm of Khadka, said Acting Chief of the Office Jagdish Pandey.

CHITWAN: Bird flu has been confirmed in two poultry farms of Chitwan.

Officials said that the avian influenza was detected in the poultry farm of Laxmi Rana of Gondrang at Bharatpur-9 and Rajendra Hamal of Mangalpur VDC- 7.

The samples were sent for the test at the Central Lab by the Bird Disease Research Laboratory, Bharatpur on April 15.

There were some 60,000 layers species of chickens in Rana’s farm and 4,000 in the farm of Hamal.

More than Rs. 25 billion has been invested in poultry in this district regarded as a leading district for poultry.