The Kanpur Zoological Park has been closed for visitors till further orders after samples taken from two dead birds found there tested positive for the avian influenza virus, an official said on Sunday.

The area up to one kilometre of the zoo has been declared an infected zone and the culling of birds has begun there, said Additional District Magistrate (City) Atul Kumar.

"Four fowls and two parrots were found dead in the zoo in the last five days. Of these, two birds tested positive," Kumar said.

According to the official, the samples of dead birds were sent to the animal disease laboratory in Bhopal which confirmed the presence of H-5 strain of bird flu in them.

The zoo has been closed for visitors and morning walkers. The hospital enclosure where the infected birds had been placed has also been shut down," Kumar said.

An area of 10 kilometres around the zoo has been cordoned off and declared containment zone for an indefinite period by the authorities and shops selling chicken and eggs there have been asked to down shutters for an indefinite period, an official said.

"We have imposed an indefinite ban on the transportation and entry of poultry products including live birds, unprocessed poultry meat in the district as a precautionary measure," District Magistrate Alok Tiwari said.

"We have taken the decisions after marathon discussion with the officials of Kanpur zoo, health department, animal husbandry and veterinary doctors," he said.

Meanwhile, section 144 of CrPC has been imposed to curb the spread of bird flu in the district, Kumar said.

The process of disinfecting all poultry farms in the radius of one kilometre of the zoo has started and teams have been formed to inspect shops selling raw chicken and mutton, he said.

Strict instructions have also been issued to make adequate arrangements for the disposal of dead birds, he added.

"We have also issued an advisory to keep a strict watch on unusual sickness or mortality in poultry birds and wild or migratory birds," ADM said.

Preventive measures in place at Lucknow zoo

Following the confirmation of bird flu in samples collected from the Kanpur zoo, the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden in Lucknow is opting for preventive measures and keeping a close watch on the birds kept in the bird enclosure, officials said on Sunday.

"No case (of bird flu) has been reported here, yet we are taking all the preventive measures. The virus spreads from the excreta of migratory birds and our effort is to ensure that it does not come here," zoo Director RK Singh said.

Bottles containing a solution of potassium permanganate have been kept at the gates of the zoo so that the visitors enter the premises disinfected, he said.

"We are maintaining a watch on the birds' enclosure. If any unusual behaviour is seen in any bird, it will be taken to the isolation ward," Singh added.

In Bareilly, arrangements to provide drinking water to migratory birds have been shut and reflectors are being installed at the Central Avian Research Institute (CARI).

"In order to ensure that migratory birds do not enter the CARI campus through the aerial route, reflectors are being installed on a war footing. The lower branches of the trees on the roadside have been cut so that the birds do not drop their excreta on the road," Acting Director of the institute Sanjeev Kumar said.

The Centre on Saturday said the outbreak of bird flu or avian influenza has been reported in Uttar Pradesh, taking the number of affected states in the country to seven.

Besides Uttar Pradesh, the other six states where bird flu has been confirmed are Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials on Friday to remain alert in view of the bird-flu cases reported from various parts of the country.

He asked the officials to relieve the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly of all responsibilities relating to Covid-19 so that it can concentrate on bird flu and its testing, an official release said.

Holding a review meeting with senior officials, the chief minister pointed out that every year in winter, migratory birds arrive in large numbers in Allahabad, where the Magh Mela is also organised.

Thus, there is a need to take extra precautions in view of the bird-flu scare, he said.

The chief minister directed the Prayagraj Mela Pradhikaran to make people aware of the matter and also asked the mela authority to publicise that pilgrims should not feed the birds.