Shillong: Culling of birds in Williamnagar town of East Garo Hills district, and in 35 villages within 10 km radius of the town has been completed, official sources said on Sunday.
The culling operation began after the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) confirmed H5N1 virus in blood samples of fowls collected from a government-run poultry farm in the district on January 11.
“Culling and disinfection operation in Williamnagar town came to an end after a final disinfection and decontamination in all 498 households on Saturday,” Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi said.
A compensatory amount of Rs 7,56,231 will be paid to the affected farmers and bird owners whose livestock were subjected to culling operation, Bakshi said.
He, however, said, 15 Rapid Response Teams will be kept in a quarantined designated location in the district headquarter to ward off any possible spread of the virus.
Bakshi said, blood samples of fowls from 10 km surveillance area will have to be sent every fortnight for the next two months to the Laboratory.
Meanwhile, sale, import and export of poultry and poultry products is still being prohibited in Garo Hills. (PTI)