India, March 18 -- The dairy, fisheries and animal resources department has advised the Bihar Animal Sciences University (BASU) to strengthen biosecurity measures, following an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) at two of its farms in Patna, resulting in the death of nearly 8,500 poultry birds and the destruction of around 15,000 eggs over the past month, officials said on Tuesday.

Dr Deepak Kumar, research officer at the Institute of Animal Health and Production under the department, said BASU has been advised to adopt stringent containment measures. These measures include pruning trees on campus to prevent bird nesting, deploying dedicated labour for each poultry shed, mandating workers to change clothes before and after enter...