Nepal reports bird flu

Nepal has reported firmed an outbreak of severe H5N8 bird flu on a poultry farm in the Koshi region, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said yesterday, citing a report from the Nepalese authorities.The virus killed 3,650 of the 6,200 hens exposed, with the remaining animals culled, the Paris-based OIE said.Nepal had already reported last month an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu among backyard chickens and ducks.In February, a fresh strain of bird flu case was detected in the tourist hub Pokhara.Local authority declared Khaltemasini and its vicinity as infected zone and called on stakeholders to halt transportation and distribution of birds.A farmer complained the death of her 11 chickens and 17 ducks, the sample were sent to regional veterinary laboratory for test on February 17. The test detected the presence of H5N1 virus.Birdflu was first detected in Nepal in 2009.