Nepal, June 30 -- More than 40,000 ducks and chickens have been culled in Kavre following an outbreak of bird flu, district livestock authorities said.

The District Livestock Service Office in Dhulikhel said 40,729 commercially raised ducks and layer chickens have been destroyed after the virus caused poultry deaths over the past several weeks.

Senior Veterinary Officer Dr. Bajra Kishor Thakur said bird flu infections were confirmed at several poultry farms in Banepa Municipality Wards 6 and 13 and Panauti Municipality Wards 7, 8 and 9, prompting authorities to cull the birds to contain the outbreak.

According to Thakur, preliminary findings suggest the disease spread further because dead chickens and ducks were dumped indiscriminatel...