Patna, Mar 31 (IANS): The fear of avian influenza has spread in Bihar's Supaul district after a large number of crows and ducks were found dead on Thursday.

District Forest Officer Sunil Kumar Sharan said the dead birds were found in large numbers in Chapkahi village under Sadar police station of the district.

"The villagers informed us about a large number of birds found dead in the Chapkahi village. Accordingly, we sent a team of Forest and Animal Husbandry Departments to ascertain the situation. During preliminary investigation, we have detected the symptoms of a disease in the crows and ducks," he said.

The villagers, after seeing birds were restless, had initially given medicines and injections of veterinary doctors but the birds did not recover.

"We have collected the samples of birds and sent them to the lab for testing. The process of burying the birds is currently underway," Sharan said.

"So far, there is no symptom of bird flu in the dead birds. Still, we have taken precautionary measures and alerted poultry forms to take precautions," he said.

"In case any person cooked it for food, the bird which died due to a disease may not affect human health but if birds died 2 to 3 days ago, it may affect human health as the virus may enter into the blood of a person who consumed it," he added.