The government authorities Sunday confirmed outbreak of bird flu in Sunsari district where around 5,000 chickens had  died earlier this week.

The tests on a sample of the dead chicken at a laboratory based in London, England confirmed that the chickens at two poultries in Khanar and Itahari died of bird flu, also called avian influenza, according to programme director of the directorate of National Animal Health (DNAH) Dr Ram Krishna Khatiwada.

Samples of the dead chicken were sent to the UK after the large number of chickens of Pathivara Poultry Firm and Itahari-based PK Poultry died earlier this week.

District authorities said they have started to adopt preventive measures to stop the spread of bird flu in the district. Other government agencies in the district have also been put on high alert.

However, authorities said humans living near the sites where bird flu was found are not at risk.

Bird flu detection is declared only after the Central Veterinary Disease Control Laboratory gets confirmation from international lab due to the lack of lab facility in the country. The laboratory sends sample to the UK for the final confirmation after conducting preliminary lab test here. nepalnews.com