States told to up vigilance against bird flu

A day after the country reported its first outbreak of bird flu among poultry, health officials today carried out mass culling and vaccination of chickens and the Centre asked states to intensify surveillance even as a farmer died of suspected avian flu in Gujarat.

Two more persons, a mother and her son, were hospitalised in Nandurbar district in Maharashtra where the dreaded bird flu first surfaced.

It was being ascertained whether they were suffering from the avian flu, officials said. Eight people were admitted to the hospital yesterday with symptoms of the disease.