190 pigeons found dead in Ahmedabad city; bird flu suspected to be cause

The birds were found dead over a period of two days

In yet another suspected case

of bird flu, around 190 pigeons were found dead in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city over a period of two days, said officials on Thursday.

To ascertain the exact cause of death of the pigeons in the Narol area, two carcass samples were sent to a Bhopal laboratory for testing for avian influenza, said Dr Rajendra Patel, Assistant Director, animal husbandry department, Ahmedabad district.

"Around 190 pigeons were found dead in the Narol area of the city during the last two days in a suspected case of bird flu. We have discarded the carcasses as per protocols and sanitised the area.

 

"We have sent two samples to a Bhopal-based laboratory for confirmation (of bird flu)," said Patel.

Bird flu cases were first reported in Gujarat on January 8 when samples of some dead birds, found near a dam in Junagadh district, later tested positive for avian influenza.

Later, bird flu cases were also reported from Surat, Vadodara and Valsad districts, where samples of dead crows returned positive tests for the virus.

Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the influenza virus.