bokaro the district animal husbandry department on saturday started culling chickens at hanuman nagar located within onekilometre radius of the government poultry farm located at lohanchal sector12 where about 800 chickens died of bird flu a few days ago we have started identifying and culling chickens that are reared in the backyard by the residents and the small poultry farms located at hanuman nagar area said manoj kumar mani the district animal husbandry officermeanwhile the department is waiting for the reports of the samples sent from two dozen poultry farms including those located at gaychanda panchayat of jaridih block where 78 chickens were found dead on friday meanwhile despite the appeal made by the administration to refrain from eating chickens for a few days the township witnessed many chicken shops doing brisk business a major area of the township falls under the infected zone and surveillance zone declared by the district administration the administration has ordered a ban on the sale of chickens and ducks at sector 12 dundi bagh tetulia ritudih ukrid lohanchal areas that fall within a onekm radius of the government poultry farm and others areas within a 10km radius surveillance zone however most of the chicken shops at chas are still open no checking is being done to ensure strict implementation of the orders if the bird flu is ignored the scope of infection may increase said dinesh agarwal a resident of sector4 civil surgeon dr abhay bhushan prasad said according to the world health organisation bird flu or avian flu is an atype influenza virus it infects humans as well as animals