(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-26 15:35

DHAKA -- Over 11,243 chickens, ducks and pigeons were culled and 2,000 eggs destroyed Thursday night and Friday in Bangladesh's southern Barguna and northwestern Dinajpur districts after the detection of avian influenza.

In Barguna district, about 190 km south of capital Dhaka, around 4,243 poultry birds were culled Thursday night as the avian influenza virus affected poultry farms in the district town, private news agency UNB reported Friday night.

Sources said the avian virus was detected at a poultry farm in the town. Later, the chickens, ducks and pigeons of 122 families and poultry nearby the virus-affected farms were culled. Besides, many crows were found dead here due to the avian influenza.

In Dinajpur, about 285 km northwest of capital Dhaka, over 7, 000 chickens, ducks and pigeons of seven poultry farms and 178 families were culled, and 2,000 eggs destroyed Thursday night and Friday.

A team comprising five members of local Livestock Office conducted the culling operation. Besides, control rooms have been set up in all 13 sub-districts of the district to control outbreak of the bird flu.

The avian influenza virus was first detected in a poultry farm in Savar, about 30 km northwest of Dhaka, early in 2007.

Detections of avian influenza have been reported in several districts across the country in the last one month.