First bird flu case in Bangladesh since 2018

Bangladesh authorities have reported a bird flu case at a government poultry farm in Jashore. It is the first case in the country since 2018. Speaking with The Daily Star, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said that officials were monitoring the situation and necessary measures had been taken to curb the outbreak. The virus detected was Avian Influenza Type-A. It is still unclear how many birds have been infected at the farm and how many have been culled for containment purposes. Citing the World Organisation for Animal Health, Reuters said that the involved flock was 3978, with half killed by the disease and the other half euthanised. However, there is no official confirmation of these data. Suman Hawlader, president of the Bangladesh Poultry Association, expressed concern over the reported case and asked the government to take appropriate measures to contain the spread of the disease, protecting the poultry sector from a potential disaster. During the first bird flu outbreak in the country in 2007, at least 370 farms were closed and thousands of animals culled, leaving farmers financially ruined. Other outbreaks in the following years had a more limited impact, but they still resulted in farm closures and significant financial losses.
In a statement, the Bangladesh Poultry Association urged the government to enforce strict monitoring to prevent the sale of sick birds and form a task force to enforce inspections and other prevention measures. The association also stressed the importance of financial assistance and compensation to affected farmers, as well as the launch of vaccination programmes.