Bird flu scare reaches Delhi; 20 crows found dead in Mayur Vihar, probe on

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New Delhi: The death of around 20 crows over the last few days amid the bird flu scare has triggered panic in Mayur Vihar Phase 3 area in Delhi.

Officials from the animal husbandry unit of the Development Department on Friday (January 8) collected samples from the area and sent them to a designated laboratory in Jalandhar, Punjab.

"Around 20 crows have died in the area over the last few days. We are following the standard operating procedure. It is yet to be ascertained whether the cause of death is bird flu infection," Dr Rakesh Singh from the department said.

The Centre had on Wednesday (January 6) said the avian influenza or bird flu outbreak has been reported at 12 epicentres in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, while Haryana is on high alert due to unusual mortality at poultry farms in Panchkula.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said on Thursday (January 7) that there is no case of bird flu in Delhi yet and asked officials to keep a close watch on poultry birds coming in from neighbouring states to prevent any infection.

Eleven rapid response teams have been set up to monitor Delhi's potential hotspots, officials said.

Sisodia had also instructed officials to maintain a strict vigil on birds at major bird sites, especially poultry markets, water bodies, zoos and other potential hotspots.

These include Ghazipur Fish and Poultry Market, Shakti Sthal Lake, Sanjay Lake, Bhalswa Horseshoe Lake, Delhi Zoo, and smaller water bodies in DDA parks among others.