Mumbai confirms bird flu samples testing positive

DM Monitoring

MUMBAI: Mumbai has confirmed the first cases of bird flu with some samples of dead crows and birds from the city and adjacent metropolitan region testing positive for avian influenza, according to civic officials, Monday.
As many as 11 crows were found dead in Mumbai suburbs while 13 birds were found dead in adjacent Thane city, civic officials said.
Thane city has also set-up a control room and has appealed to citizens to promptly report cases of bird deaths. India has been witnessing a scare across the country with the western state of Maharashtra, which has Mumbai as its political capital being the eighth state reporting death of chickens, crows and parrots.
The other seven Indian states reporting bird flu cases are southern states of Kerala, Northern state of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, western state of Gujarat and Central state of Madhya Pradesh.
Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Uddhav Thackarey will chair a meeting later on Monday evening to review the situation after 800 birds in a poultry died in Parbhani district, 512 km from Mumbai.