Bird flu (H5N1) infection has been confirmed in Chitwan. The virus was detected at a commercial layers farm and a nearby local chicken farm in Ward No. 4 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City.
According to Dr. Prabhat Neupane, Chief of the Animal Service Office Chitwan, the bird flu that had been seen in eastern Nepal has now been confirmed in Chitwan as well. He said the viral disease has affected commercially raised chickens and may also spread to other birds. As the disease is virus-based, he stressed that strict biosecurity measures are essential for control. Farmers have been urged to conduct regular health checks of ducks and chickens, maintain farm hygiene, and strictly control movement in and out of farms.
To contain the infection, around 18,000 layers chickens at the affected farm have been destroyed, along with about 900 local chickens at a nearby farm.
Dr. Neupane stated that this is the first case of bird flu reported in Chitwan since 2021, and so far, it has not spread to other areas. During the previous outbreak in 2021, nearly 800,000 chickens were destroyed in the district.
Dr. Vijay Kumar Shrestha, Chief of the National Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory Chitwan, said that although no additional cases have been confirmed elsewhere, the risk remains high in the district. He urged farmers to remain highly cautious, as the disease can spread easily through various means.
He emphasized the need for extra caution when transporting materials between farms. “Our poultry farming system operates like a network. The same vehicles often collect eggs and deliver feed to multiple farms. During such movement, the virus can easily spread from an infected farm to a healthy one,” he explained.
According to data from the Animal Service Office, there are approximately 10.8 million chickens in the district as of the last fiscal year.
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