Nepal reports first outbreak of bird flu

Jan 16, 2009, 10:13 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepal on Friday announced its first case of H5N1 strain of bird flu virus in poultry in the eastern region and ordered immediate measures to contain it.

The virus was detected in the border town of Kakarbhitta in Jhapa district, about 450 kilometres east of Kathmandu.

The area is a major border transit point for goods and animals from neighbouring Indian states of West Bengal and Assam.

The Nepalese cabinet met Friday in emergency and declared a 10-kilometre area around Kakarbhitta for Quarantine and ordered immediate culling.

'We have ordered local officials to cull poultry and other captive birds in the area and implement measures to prevent captive birds from being moved to other parts of the country,' said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, minister for information and communication.

Officials said the bird flu was confirmed after tests conducted on six chickens that died on a farm near the town.

Nepal banned imports of ducks and chicken from India last month, citing growing reports of bird flu cases in West Bengal and Assam, but smuggling continues.

Earlier this week, police intercepted a group of people trying to smuggle more than 200 ducks into Nepal. The fowl were culled by the authorities.