Bird flu spread in Jharkhand, thousands of poultry birds culled

Large-scale culling of poultry has started in Ranchi as the bird flu disease spread in the Jharkhand capital. Ranchi has been hit by the H5N1 virus, days after thousands of birds had to be killed in Bokaro district. Seven infection zones have been identified in Ranchi and culling was initiated in these places to stem the spread of the virus. Areas within a 10 km radius have been declared as surveillance zone. The Animal Husbandry Department has issued an advisory, urging people to inform it if they see dead birds.In rare cases, avian flu can affect humans, so the state government has asked for extra vigil.