Panic gripped people in Cuttack after it was officially confirmed that there has been an outbreak of bird flu in the city. Samples collected from a State-run duck breeding centre at Khapuria here tested positive to the deadly strain of avian influenza, said Chief District Veterinary Officer (CDVO) Loknath Behera.
Officials, after receiving the test reports, have undertaken a drive for mass culling of all the poultry birds and destroy the eggs within a one-km radius of the duck breeding centre. Blood samples of the people within a ten-km radius of the locality, who have consumed eggs and bird meat over the week, would also be collected.
The breeding centre witnessed deaths of at least 10 to 15 birds everyday over the past ten days, following which samples were sent to several laboratories within the State and outside. Reports from a laboratory in Bhopal indicated that the samples tested positive to the strain of H5N1 virus which spreads from bird to bird.
Sources said veterinary teams have culled over 400 ducks within the breeding centre by Sunday evening. Huge quantities of chickens and eggs from nearby vending zones have also been destroyed. The mass culling drive would continue for some more days, district officials said.