Around 6,000 chickens in Patna were culled by the Animal Resource Department after they were found infected with avian influenza. The infected birds were discovered at the Poultry Research and Training Centre near the airport area. Following confirmation from laboratories, all chickens at the facility were culled and buried as ordered by the Dairy, Fisheries, and Animal Resources Department.
The entire locality has undergone sanitization, and residents have been urged to adhere to strict precautionary measures. To prevent the spread of the infection, the movement of chickens and roosters in and out of the municipal limits has been completely prohibited by the Patna District Magistrate. A 1-kilometer radius around the affected poultry farm has been designated as an infection zone, with a 9-kilometer radius as a surveillance zone.
In response to the avian influenza outbreak, the administration has imposed restrictions on the entry of eggs, poultry birds, and feed into the designated areas unless accompanied by proper sanitization certification. Surveillance has been intensified in the densely populated area around the Chitkohra bridge near the airport, with check-posts established and round-the-clock monitoring in place.
As a precautionary measure, the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan administration has enhanced preventive measures. Visitors are only allowed to view birds from a minimum distance of eight feet, with insecticide spraying and chemical disinfectants being used around bird enclosures. Poultry farming has been banned for two months in the affected and surrounding areas, and movement of people near the infection zone has been restricted.
