No New Bird Flu Cases Reported Since July 17, Says Department of Livestock Services

Kathmandu: Nepal has not recorded any new cases of bird flu since July 17, according to the Department of Livestock Services, indicating that the outbreak is now largely under control.

The most recent case was detected in Sundarijal, Gokarneshwor-1, Kathmandu. Since then, veterinary authorities have continued collecting and testing samples from surrounding areas, but no additional infections have been confirmed.

Director General of the Department of Livestock Services, Dr. Umesh Dahal, said the situation is currently under control, with surveillance and laboratory testing continuing in previously affected areas as a precaution.

The outbreak was first confirmed on March 17 through PCR testing conducted by the Central Veterinary Laboratory. Two days later, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development declared Urlabari-8 and Sundarharaicha-4 in Morang district as bird flu-affected areas.

According to the department, commercial layer farms were the hardest hit, while infections were also found in parent stock, broilers, local chickens, ducks, turkeys and pheasants. A total of 11 districts reported outbreaks, although the disease has now been fully contained in seven districts outside the Kathmandu Valley and Kavrepalanchok.

Within the Kathmandu Valley and Kavrepalanchok, bird flu was confirmed at 119 locations, including 32 sites in Kathmandu, 15 in Lalitpur (including the Central Zoo), 45 in Bhaktapur and 27 in Kavrepalanchok.

To contain the outbreak, authorities culled 835,563 birds nationwide. In addition, 1.16 million eggs and 245,035 kilograms of poultry feed were destroyed, according to senior veterinarian Dr. Mukul Upadhyay.

The government has also provided financial assistance to affected farmers. Of the NPR 520 million allocated for compensation, more than NPR 507.1 million has already been disbursed to 104 farmers and poultry farms.

Livestock disease investigation laboratories across the country continue to conduct intensive testing. Officials say the combined efforts of the government and poultry farmers have played a key role in bringing the outbreak under control, and the likelihood of further spread is now considered low.

As the outbreak subsides, demand for chicken meat and eggs has started to recover, helping stabilize market prices and improve returns for poultry farmers, who had suffered significant losses during the peak of the outbreak.