KATHMANDU: The Department of Livestock Services has intensified efforts to prevent the spread of bird flu in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas by deploying technical teams and strengthening disease control measures. The department has also increased surveillance through regular sample testing conducted by various laboratories.

According to the department’s Director General, Dr. Umesh Dahal, the risk of infection is highest in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, and Kavrepalanchok districts. He said the outbreak, which began about three months ago, has now spread to 11 districts across Nepal.

Bird flu has been confirmed at around 100 poultry farms. Infected farms have had their birds, eggs, and feed destroyed to contain the virus. The department has urged farmers not to introduce new chicks for at least one and a half months and has called for heightened vigilance. In the Kathmandu Valley, infections have been confirmed at poultry farms in Chandragiri, Kirtipur, Tokha, Tarkeshwar, Godawari, Changunarayan, and Suryabinayak, among other areas.

Officials stated that there is currently no effective treatment or vaccine for bird flu. Because the virus is highly contagious, culling infected poultry remains the most effective method of controlling its spread. Dr. Dahal also warned that the virus has the potential to infect humans and urged poultry farmers and consumers to exercise extra caution to help contain the outbreak quickly.

To coordinate the response, the department has formed a central Bird Flu Coordination Committee led by the Director General, while district-level Bird Flu Coordination Committees have been established under the leadership of the respective Chief District Officers.

The department’s Information Officer, Mukul Upadhyay, said farmers whose poultry, eggs, and feed are destroyed will be eligible for compensation of up to 75 percent of their estimated losses. The compensation amount will be determined by district committees based on verified records of the destroyed materials.