# 753
According to scientists in India, the poultry die off that caused panic in Siliguri wasn't due to Avian Flu. However, additional lab tests are pending.
This from the Times of India.
'Chicken deaths not due to bird flu'
Kounteya Sinha
[10 May, 2007 l 0103 hrs IST
NEW DELHI: The animal husbandry department has ruled out bird flu as the cause of death of 2,350 chicken at a poultry farm in Matigara near Siliguri on Tuesday.
Post-mortem examination of the dead birds, in a regional avian laboratory in Jalpaiguri, found that the birds died of Ranikhet and Newcastle diseases. The farm, where the deaths sparked a bird flu scare on Tuesday, has already been quarantined.
Not taking any chances, especially because Matigara village is just 25 km from Bangladesh, which is reeling under an H5N1 bird flu outbreak having resulted in the culling of 132,000 chickens in 52 farms of 10 districts, two samples of the dead chicken have been sent to the high security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal for confirmation against avian influenza.
Results are expected in four days after real-time PCR tests are conducted on the samples.
Speaking to TOI, Darjeeling district magistrate Rajesh Pandey said areas in and around the farm have already been disinfected.
A red alert in the surrounding areas has been sounded with the Border Security Force told to be extra vigilant. Pandey was, however, unaware whether Ranikhet or Newcastle diseases had earlier led to death of chickens in the farm in Matigara.
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