NEW DELHI, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- India's High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh, Saturday confirmed that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus was responsible for the death of about 50,000 chickens in Maharashtra Pradesh in recent days.

    "We tested for the H5N1 virus in the samples sent from Nandurbar district of Maharashtra and the tests were positive," Indo-Asian News Service quoted H.K. Pradhan, director of the laboratory, as saying.

    Pradhan said that another round of tests was on to reconfirm bird flu.

    We have sent the results of our tests to the central Animal Husbandry Department, he said.

    Over 50,000 chickens have died in Maharashtra in recent days.

    "We have sent teams of microbiologists to the places, where flocks of birds were found dead," said Pradhan. Enditem