New Delhi (CNN) India has begun culling tens of thousands of poultry birds after avian influenza was detected in ducks, crows and wild geese in at least a dozen locations across the country. The country's Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying issued an alert on Wednesday, urging states to take measures to avoid any further spread of the disease. "Nineteen rapid response teams have been formed for this," Raju said. About 17,000 birds have been culled in Kerala so far, and eggs have also been destroyed in some districts. The northern state of Himachal Pradesh reported the death of more than 3,000 birds from the disease, mostly bar-headed geese at a wildlife sanctuary, according to Archana Sharma, a senior official in the state forest department.

Source: The Nation January 07, 2021 13:09 UTC