Bird flu infected chicken ‘disappear’
Poultry farm owner claims he destroyed them; Officials suspect foul play
KATHMANDU, DEC 26 -
When a rapid response team of experts, armed with chemicals and equipment, arrived at Surendra Man Basnet’s poultry farm in Bafal on Tuesday, there were shocked to discover the absence of any chicken.
Basnet, who runs the Manju Feed and Poultry Industries located at Ramkot-6 of Kathmandu, was forewarned that a government team was on its way to destroy all specimens of his bird flu infected poultry. He managed to disappear every single chicken he owned. “I killed and disposed of them all,” was Basnet’s short reply to the incredulous team, who believe that Basnet sold off his stock of avian-flu ridden chicken.
The Central Veterinary Laboratory at Tripureshwor had confirmed the presence of avian flu in the farm on Sunday. It is estimated that the farm accommodated around 2,500 chickens. Although the chicken were nowhere to be seen, the team of experts managed to destroy over 19,000 eggs from the farm’s storage.
“We disinfected the site but we can’t be sure about chickens, although the owner claims to have already killed them all,” said Dr Narayan Ghimire, senior veterinary doctor at the Department of Livestock (DoL).
Officials from the rapid response team, meanwhile, said the owner must have sold the chicken upon realising that the authorities would slaughter them all. “The infected chickens must have already reached cold stores inside the Valley,” said one of the officials on condition of anonymity. “If the owner has really sold his chicken, the problem will get worse in the days to come.”
Dr Ghimire said Basnet had violated the Bird Flu Control Order 2007, which clearly forbids the import, export or sale of poultry products suspected of infection. Dr Ghimire, however, did not reveal the possible actions that Basnet is likely to face. http://www.kantipuronline.com/2012/12/26/capital/bird-flu-infected-chicken-disappear/364668.html
| Team to probe missing chicken at Basnet farm The district administration office (DAO) on Wednesday formed a seven-member committee to investigate the disappearance of 2,500 dead chicken from Basnet´s farm. The team headed by Bol Raj Acharya, chief of District Animal Health Office, Kathmandu, will submit its report within three days. The team comprises DAO officers Binod Prasad Upadhya and Deepak KC, Bimala Khanal, secretary of Nepal Consumer Rights Forum, DSP Sarad Singh Basnet of the Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal Police Inspector Ramesh Shrestha, and Jung Bahadur BC of National Chicken Sellers Association. CDO Sharma said the committee will observe the buried fowls and submit its report. "If they do not find the buried chickens action will be taken against the farmer," he said. Consumer rights activists had said that negligence by the authorities had put the lives of consumers at risk. Asked about this, Ghimire said it is the administration which is responsible. "We informed the authorities about the infection. It was for them to ensure safety at farms". But CDO Sharma said DoAH was informed after confirmation of the disease and asked to help deploy rapid response teams. Basnet had informed the authorities that all the dead chicken at his farm were buried but was unable to show the burial site. | ||
“We also dug the area where Basnet had claimed to have buried the bird flu-infected chicken, but we found nothing,” he said, suggesting that the poultry farm owner could have swiftly sold the chicken in the market. “He is in police custody for investigation,” he added. Kathmandu District Administration Office has formed a probe committee to investigate into the matter at the request of the Directorate. “About 2,240 fowls, 700 kg chicken feed and 105 eggs were destroyed by the rapid response team deployed at the site,” said Ghimire. “We will disinfect the place by tomorrow and will keep the place under surveillance.” http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Bird+flu+case+confirmed+in++Sitapaila+farm&NewsID=359328 | ||