Pune: After Parbhani, Mumbai, Latur, Beed, now deaths of 13 poultry birds and nine crows were reported in last two days of Pune district.

This is the first instance after the bird flu made its mark in Maharashtra earlier this week. Animal Husbandry Commissionerate on Thursday said that the samples are being sent to the labs to find the real reason behind the deaths of the birds. Meanwhile, Maharashtra till Thursday reported 3,338 deaths of poultry birds amid bird flu.

The state department stated that, samples of birds from four more districts in the Maharashtra namely, Nanded, Latur, Nashik and Ahmednagar were found positive for Avian Influenza. The state department confirmed that a total of 382 birds have reportedly found died on Thursday.

While, the samples have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and DIS, Pune. So far, nine districts in Maharashtra have been exposed to bird flu in the state. According to the Animal Husbandry department, Of the 382 deaths reported in the state 110 were from Nagpur while Chandrapur also saw 86 deaths. Marathawada region which reported the first case of bird flu is also witnessing surge in the spread of Avian Influenza where 47 deaths were reported from Latur followed by four in Beed.

Meanwhile, the state government has declared an advisory where it has directed the owners of poultry farms and people to immediately tell mortality in crows, herons or in migratory birds in any village or at any place. One can call toll free no. 18002330418.