A major avian flu outbreak in Kathmandu has prompted authorities to order the culling of more than 500,000 chickens. Tens of thousands of the chickens have already been killed after what was called the largest outbreak of avian flu ever to occur in the Himalayan region this year.
More than 250 poultry farms were infected, with more than 62 cases of bird flu recorded in workers at the farms in just the past few weeks.
The cull was ordered when the health authorities realized they were unable to contain the spread of H5N1, even after a week long ban on the sales of chickens at wet markets failed to yield any results.
The problem is also that the supply of chickens continued even after the ban, so the cull became necessary. The authorities assert that since the farmers are now complying with the cull order, the epidemic will be contained.
So far the outbreak in Nepal has not caused any deaths.
Source : France 24/ 8.16.13
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