With the detection of the viral infection at a Jessore farm, the number of districts that have the poultry disease now rose to six.

The five other districts are Dhaka, Gazipur, Tangail, Jamalpur and Narayanganj.

The highly infectious viral disease was first officially detected at Biman Poultry Complex less than a month ago.

The authorities yesterday culled 1,400 chicken at a farm at Dosair village in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital following confirmation of bird flu. The chickens were culled under the supervision of livestock officials.

In Jessore, livestock officials culled 73 chickens at a farm in Sharsha upazila.

Our Gazipur correspondent reports that Rapid Response Team in the district yesterday conducted search at 70 poultry farms with 1,28,750 layers and 25,910 broilers. Sixty-four chickens were found dead at the farms, and this was quite normal, team sources said.