THANE: After three crows and 15 pond herons were found dead in Mumbai and Thane, respectively, the animal husbandry department said on Wednesday that the reason for the birds perishing was not known.
The veterinary department of the Thane Municipal Corporation received a call about the dead herons near Vijay Garden society in Ghodbunder. The crows were found dead near the police commissioner’s office.
“The three crows and eight [of the] pond herons have been sent to the disease investigation section, Pune, for testing. Only once the reports come can we confirm whether the birds had bird flu or something else,” said Dr Vijay Dhumal, deputy commissioner, animal husbandry department, Thane district.
Commissioner of animal husbandry department Sachindra Pratap Singh said there was no need to panic as the chances of humans getting the virus were miniscule. Since the outbreak of the virus in other states of the country, this is the first batch of dead birds they have come across in the state.
“Till date there have been no positive cases in humans in the country and the outbreak in poultry was in 2006 in Maharashtra, after which there have been no cases as we regularly check the health of the animals. Also, even if poultry gets infected, if it is cooked properly, there are no chances of humans getting infected,” said Singh.