FAO to probe resurgence of H5N1 virus in Tripura, India

AGARTALA: Reports of repeated resurgence of pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Tripura have prompted the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to send a five-member specialist team to the state on Wednesday to investigate the matter.

According to official records, as many as 13 lakh poultry have either died or been culled in the past four years in Tripura. The poultry industry has received a setback due to frequent outbreaks of avian flu and the state has incurred an estimated loss of Rs 25 crore over the years.

More than 10,000 poultry farmers and nine state-owned companies, including the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), have borne the brunt of the outbreaks.

Animal resource development minister Aghore Debbarma said that the state government had requested FAO to investigate the reasons of frequent occurrence of bird flu in government-run companies over the past three years. Read More