A sample of a dead crow found in Red Fort in Old Delhi has tested positive for bird flu and orders were sent out to restrict the entry of visitors into the monument from Tuesday till January 26, reported PTI, citing authorities. Around 15 dead crows were found dead in the premises of the monument on January 10.

Delhi government’s Animal Husbandry Department Director Rakesh Singh said a sample from one of the dead birds was sent to a Jalandhar-based laboratory for testing. The report suggested bird flu, and a confirmatory test at the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, a part of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, in Bhopal confirmed the presence of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, Singh added.

Following this, entry into the Red Fort was restricted till January 26 as a preventive measure. The Animal Husbandry Department, in its order, said that according to its action plan for control and containment of avian influenza, the monument came under the alert zone and infected area.

On Saturday, samples taken from a dead owl in the Delhi zoo had tested positive for avian influenza.

Last week, the Delhi government had lifted the ban on sale and import of chicken after 100 samples taken from the Ghazipur poultry market tested negative for the infection.

The Centre on Monday said that the outbreak of avian influenza or bird flu had been confirmed in 14 states. Five states confirmed the infection in poultry birds, while nine others found it in crows, migratory birds or wild birds.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in a statement that the central team formed to monitor the situation had completed its visit to Kerala and also conducted epidemiological studies in Maharashtra. The team was visiting other places affected by the outbreak.

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Bird flu outbreak confirmed in 14 states, central team visits affected areas