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Crows Found Dead: Is It Poisoning or Avian Flu?
15 Feb
Summary
- Multiple crows found dead and ill near Kattoor in Coimbatore.
- Officials suspect food poisoning but await lab tests for avian flu.
- Sick crows cannot be sampled, awaiting further deaths for tests.
Over the past three days, a concerning number of crows, at least five, have been discovered dead and several others have fallen ill in the Kattoor area of Coimbatore. Local corporation sanitation workers first noticed the distressed birds during their regular waste collection rounds.
District animal husbandry department officials have begun an inspection of the site. They believe food poisoning is a likely cause, given the proximity to residential areas. However, they stressed that confirmation of avian influenza can only be made after samples are sent for testing.
Officials noted that collecting samples from sick, living birds is not feasible. If any more birds die, their carcasses will be collected for laboratory analysis in Bhopal. Until then, no definitive cause can be declared. It is reported that mass bird deaths or confirmed cases of avian influenza have not occurred in the district previously.
