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Guwahati: Authorities in Assam have culled some 40,000 poultry of an estimated 60,000 birds ordered to be killed after an outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus in the region, officials said on Monday.
"Culling operations are on in the district of Kamrup since Friday and so far about 40,000 chickens and ducks were killed," said Manoranjan Choudhury, deputy director of the Assam Veterinary department.
The culling is being carried out in about 48 villages within a five kilometre radius of village Thakurchuba in Kamrup district, about 40 km west of Assam's main city of Guwahati.
The poultry targeted includes ducks and chickens. Some 22 Rapid Response Teams are engaged with the operation expected to be completed in the next two to three days.
The Indian health ministry last week confirmed outbreak of bird flu after laboratory tests found strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza.
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