The process of culling of chicken, , which has been hit by bird flu in Parbhnai district, will start on Tuesday. A proposal is being moved today by the Law and Judiciary Department for commencing the culling operation..

A team will also oversee the culling of the chicken is not cruel, and it is painless. Some of the officers who have handled bird flu in 2006 have been deputed to lead some teams, said Anoop Kumar, Principal Secretary of Maharashtra’s Animal Husbandry Department.

Kumar said that today the situation is much different from the 2006 outbreak in Navapur area of Nandurbar district, where thousands of chicken died.

The lessons have been learnt well from the 2006 outbreak and Standard Operating Procedures in such situation have been well established. Rapid Response Teams has been dispatched to all the outbreak locations. Veterinary officers are inspecting water reservoirs and wildlife officers are also in search of bird deaths in the jungles, he said.

The whole state machinery is on high alert and the Chief Minister is taking a review of the situation this evening. Containing the outbreak will not be difficult, Principal Secretary said.

Kumar told BusinessLine that few crows in Mumbai and Thane have also been found with the virus. In Mumbai, the crows, which have died are not close to any poultry hub. The virus travels through aquatic migratory birds, but when crows and egrets come in contact with them, they also get infected with the virus,

Crows are most vulnerable as they are carrion birds, which eat other dead birds. Herons are also vulnerable as they eat the maggots from the carcasses of other dead birds. Where crows and herons have come in contact with migratory birds they have become carriers. Available veterinary information shows that wild aquatic birds are the primary carriers and birds such as crows are secondary carriers, he said.

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