Bird flu confirmed in Rampur; sale of chicken, eggs banned for 21 days

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Bareilly (UP), Aug 12 (PTI) The Rampur district administration has banned the sale and transport of eggs and other poultry products for 21 days after bird flu (Avian Influenza H5 virus) was confirmed at a poultry farm in Sehor village, where over 15,000 chickens have died, officials said on Tuesday.
District Magistrate Jogendra Singh convened an emergency meeting on Monday and ordered the closure of all chicken shops, including eateries serving chicken, across the district for three weeks.
He also prohibited the movement of poultry and poultry products within and outside the district until further notice. Control rooms have been set up at the district and Bilaspur tehsil levels to monitor the situation, the officials said.
Following the death of thousands of birds at poultry farms in Singhore and Sehora villages in Bilaspur, the administration sealed the area in a one-kilometre radius around the affected farm and declared a 10-km area as a surveillance zone.
The Director of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, Triveni Dutt, said the presence of the Avian Influenza H5 virus was confirmed in tests conducted on five samples from Rampur at both IVRI and the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal.
The IVRI tested the samples on August 8, with positive results, and sent them to HSADL on August 9 for further confirmation. HSADL tested the samples on August 10 and confirmed the presence of the virus on August 11, following which advisories were issued.
At the Central Avian Research Institute (CARI), Izatnagar, Bareilly, Director Ashok Kumar Tiwari said precautionary measures are already in place in the institute, but additional safeguards are being implemented in view of the outbreak.
Entry of outsiders and vehicles has been prohibited, and officials' vehicles are being parked outside the premises. All water sources and potential water-collection points inside the institute are being covered to prevent wild birds from entering.
Reflectors have been installed at farmhouses and broiler research areas, he said.
The state Animal Husbandry Department has instructed all veterinary officers to immediately conduct sampling and follow necessary protocols if bird deaths are reported at any poultry farm, and to share information with higher authorities.
Officials said the department collects 20 samples each month from different areas for testing at IVRI, and no positive cases have been found in Bareilly so far.
However, authorities in Bareilly are on alert due to its proximity to Rampur, officials added. PTI CORR ABN RT
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First Published:
August 12, 2025, 18:45 IST
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