MANSEHRA, Feb 17: At least 5,000 chickens have been culled at a poultry farm in the Malipur area after a report of the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, confirmed presence of H5N1 virus.The district livestock officer of Mansehra Dr Ali Akber Khan told Dawn that after the confirmation of the H5N1 virus by the NIH laboratory, over 5,000 chickens were culled in the poultry farm.

He said that the infected poultry farm had been sealed, while vaccine was being administered in other areas to check the spread of the bird flu virus.

Responding to a question, Dr Akber said that fortunately no worker of the said poultry farm had been infected by the virus.

Meanwhile, sources in the provincial health department told this correspondent that a team of the World Health Organisation, which was already monitoring the situation in Hazara region, had reached Mansehra to review the situation.