The Jharkhand government sounded an alert after bird flu cases were reported in a state-run poultry farm in Ranchi, an official said on Wednesday.

As many as 2,196 birds including 1,745 chickens were culled at the Regional Poultry Farm, Hotwar, an official told PTI.

A total of 1697 eggs were also destroyed.

The presence of H5N1, a type of avian influenza A virus that causes disease in birds, was confirmed in the samples, the official said.

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