Mumbai, Jan 20 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Wednesday said the state reported deaths of 4,479 birds a day before and their samples are being sent for testing to check if any of them carried the avian influenza virus.

According to an official statement, 4,351 of them were poultry birds.

Of these, 3,700 poultry birds died in Yavatmal district, the statement said.

Seventy-nine crows and 49 other birds like herons, sparrows and parrots also died on Tuesday, the statement said.

A total of 12,752 different types of birds have died in the state since January 8, it said.

"A total of 4,479 birds have died in Maharashtra on January 19. The samples are being sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and Disease Investigation Section, Pune for testing," the statement said.

The government reiterated that 25,229 birds from seven districts and 14 places have been culled by following standard protocol.

Similarly, 1,091 eggs and 4,215 kg poultry feed have also been destroyed in the infected zone, it said.

To avoid the spread of infection, carcasses are put in a gunny sack and buried in a ditch lined with a layer of lime.

A central government team led by Dr Tapan Kumar Sahu, Quarantine Officer (Chennai) arrived in the state on January 17 to monitor the activities undertaken in the bird flu- affected areas.

On Wednesday, the team visited the infected areas of Beed and Parbhani to monitor the activities of controlling the disease, the statement said.

The statement said the team has earlier visited Pen (Raigad), Nande and Boribel (both in Pune) and expressed satisfaction in efforts taken to contain the bird flu outbreak.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)