The local authorities of bordering districts in east Nepal have more tightened surveillance after bird flu was detected in chicken in Mechinagar Municipality of Jhapa district, some 320 km southeast of Nepali capital Kathmandu.

Specialist teams have started culling chicken and other birds and destroying poultry production in Mechinagar, which has been declared bird flu risk zone by government on Friday.

An expert team led by Dr. Ram Krishna Khatiwada, head of Bird Flu Control Project, had already reached the affected area from Kathmandu and has begun his work, local news website Nepalnews reported on Sunday.

Three kilometers periphery of the customs office in Mechinagar has been declared bird flu risk zone.

The local administration of Jhapa has reported as saying more than 13,000 birds will be culled and safely disposed in Mechinagarand surrounding areas. Apart from culling birds and destroying poultry products, tools used in poultry firms will be sterilized, reports quoting local authorities said.

Around 350 poultry firms in the area are now under bird flu surveillance while the import of birds from bordering India has been tightly controlled, reports quoting local officials said.

Meanwhile, Nepali national news agency RSS on Sunday reported, team of specialists deployed to control bird flu in Jhapa district are facing difficulties after the Poultry Entrepreneurs Union, Jhapa declined to assist the team.

According to the report, Union has decided to deny assistance to the team reasoning that the compensation fixed by the Agriculture Ministry was very low for destroying the birds and poultry products.

The report quoted Khatiwada, head of the expert team as saying that "the team was unable to provide compensation to any poultry entrepreneur against the rule and regulation fixed by the government."

Cabinet meeting on Friday had announced bird flu outbreak in Nepal for the first time which was first found in Jhapa district. The announcement came after laboratory tests conducted in London showed bird flu in chicken samples taken from a household in Mechinagar.

Avian influenza commonly known as bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses and it can also infect humans. Avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can quickly make domesticated birds sick and kill them.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2009)