Chicken deaths in Bingiriya:

Bird flu virus ruled out

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) has assured that there were no signs of the deadly bird flu virus in chicken that had died in a poultry farm at Bingiriya.

A spokesman for the DAPH said that investigations will be carried out even in other poultry farms in Bingiriya and other suburban areas.

Director General, Department of Animal Production and Health W.K. De Silva told the Sunday Observer that medical personnel of the department had visited the Bingiriya poultry farm as soon as the incident was reported and carried out investigations to ascertain whether there was any outbreak of the bird flu.

The Director General confirmed that there were no H5N1 (bird flu) symptoms in the dead birds and called upon people not to panic over the incident.

Following investigations over 1,000 birds in the farm were destroyed and measures were also taken taken to prevent the destroyed chickens being taken out of the farm.

According to the Health Ministry, two teams including officials of the Ministry's Epidemiology Unit had also visited the Bingiriya farm to carry out investigations.

Health Ministry Senior spokesman W.M. Wanninayake said that although the H5NI (bird flu) symptoms were not reported, doctors and nurses of the two hospitals in Chilaw and Bingiriya were provided with safety equipment in the event they had contracted Bird Flu (H5N1).

He said hospitals were also provided with Tamiflu, a drug given to patients suffering from flu conditions. The sale of eggs and chicken has been temporarily suspended at the Bingiriya farm.