Bird Flu Outbreak: 4 Lakh Chickens Culled in Navapur, Maharashtra
3 min readMumbaiMay 11, 2026 12:40 PM IST
The Nandurbar district authorities in Maharashtra have completed culling operations at all poultry farms in Navapur affected by avian influenza (bird flu), with nearly 3.9 lakh birds destroyed till Friday (May 8) as part of efforts to contain the H5N1 virus outbreak.
Dr Sanjay Kachane, Deputy Commissioner, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Nandurbar, said late Friday night marked the completion of culling and related operations across all poultry farms in the affected zones. “The remaining work now involves culling of backyard poultry birds and carrying out cleaning and sanitisation of poultry farms,” he said.
As many as 3,89,781 birds from farms were culled across 13 farms between May 1 and May 8. In addition, 21,61,222 eggs and 4,99,950 kg of poultry feed were destroyed to prevent further spread of the virus. Officials said the number of culled birds will exceed 4 lakh in the coming days as backyard culling begins.
Navapur has 30 poultry farms, of which 27 are operational. Of these, three farms had no birds at the time of inspection. Authorities have now collected samples from all farms as a precautionary measure to eliminate any possibility of further transmission.
“We are ensuring extensive surveillance across all poultry units and nearby backyard poultry populations within the affected zones. A total of 59 samples have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) laboratory in Bhopal. Teams from the Regional Disease Investigation Laboratory, who visited the affected areas, collected multiple categories of samples from poultry farms and surrounding environments,” Dr Kachane said.
Officials said bird flu surveillance involves collecting a range of samples to detect the H5N1 virus, identify its strain, and understand its transmission patterns. These include oropharyngeal or tracheal swabs from birds’ respiratory tracts, cloacal swabs to detect viral shedding through faeces, and faecal samples from live birds and surrounding areas.
Blood samples are collected for antibody testing to determine prior exposure to the virus. In cases involving dead birds, tissue samples from organs such as the lungs, trachea, intestines, spleen, brain and liver are also examined.
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Authorities are additionally testing environmental samples collected from water sources, litter, feed trays, cages and farm surfaces for contamination. Feather and dust samples are also being used in poultry house surveillance.
