Flu scare in fowl death

Following the death of 86 birds at a chicken rearing centre here today, the area has been cordoned off fearing bird flu attack.

However, the senior officials at the government-run centre — which only sells eggs and rear chicken — refuse to buy the bird flu logic at this stage. The dead birds — 136 in total in five days — were also sent to live research stock station in Ranchi.

On February 9, when the first death was reported at the centre — located in Sector XII — it was said that the death took place because of Fowl Carrizo, a disease said to be found common in chicken. But as nasal discharge of the affected ones was noticed before the death — the first symptom in bird flu — the officials are not rejecting the flu theory as well.