Government Orders Culling of Chicken in Katihar
Patna: January 23, 2008
The state government on Wednesday, a day after it banned entry of chicken coming from the neighboring state of West Bengal, ordered destruction of thousands of chickens in Katihar district to eliminate any spread of Bird Flu in Bihar that till now has managed to keep the deadly virus at bay by taking precautionary measures in a timely fashion.
"The fact that Katihar sits adjacent to Malda district on the geographical map makes it particularly vulnerable to the Bird Flu. However, tests have already established that poultry products in Bihar are safe to consume and there is no need to be alarmed," Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.
Saying the state government was in touch with the Union Health Minister to prevent Avian Influenza from spreading in Bihar, Modi, in an attempt to assuage the public fear, said the decision to cull chicken in the six Panchayats of Katihar district was merely a precautionary measure to ensure no contaminated chicken managed to slip into Bihar from West Bengal.
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