Bangalore,Oct 29 (PTI): More than 19000 chicken and 13,300 emu birds are to be culled at the Central Poultry Development Organisation at Hesaraghtta here, where avian influenza (H5N1) had claimed over 3,600 turkeys over the last fortnight, a top official said today.

As many as 120 chicken died yesterday and 86 chicken and 17 ducks on Saturday, Animal Husbandry Secretary Arvind Ramachandra Jannu told PTI.

"All these dead birds were disposed as per the Government of India Action Plan. To know the cause of death, samples were collected from chicken and ducks and submitted to HSADL (High Security Animal Disease Laboratory), Bhopal and the report is awaited," Jannu said.

The central government had notified the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in turkeys at CPDO on October 25. Action has been initiated for control and eradication of avian influenza, he said.

Sanitisation activity in the turkey unit has started and till yesterday one shed was sanitised. Remaining sheds would be sanitised in coming days and disinfection procedures will be followed. Yesterday, 78 officers and staff were involved in the activity.

Sixtyeight villages in the 10 km radius from the turkey unit of CPDO had been identified as a surveillance zone and disease surveillance process has been activated. Serum and cloacal samples have been collected and submitted for laboratory investigation, he said.

"There is no report of unusual mortality among the poultry and birds in the surveillance zone," Jannu said.

"Necessary direction has been issued to the authority concerned to close a school, located in CPDO, for 15 days," he added.