Mysuru: The carcass of a Spot-Billed Pelican that was found at Kukkarahalli Lake last evening was removed from water this morning. After the body was fished out, the samples were sent to Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory on Dhanvanthri Road for examination. 

Officials from Forest Department said that as the samples of the two Pelicans that died recently did not test positive for Avian Influenza or Bird Flu, this time, the samples were not sent to Southern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAH&VB) at Hebbal in Bengaluru for tests. 

Veterinary doctors Dr. H.C. Srinivas and other officials suspected that the Pelican might have either died due to old age and biting cold or due to consumption of detergent-laced water that flows from the neighbourhood of Vinayakanagar (Paduvarahalli) and Jayalakshmipuram. 

The Southern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAHVB), Bengaluru that tested the last two samples of the Pelicans has testified that the death was not due to Bird Flu. 

After testing the cloacal swabs, tracheal swabs and organ samples of the Pelicans, the institute, in its report, said the samples had been tested negative for Influenza type ‘A’ specific and Influenza H5 specific. With this report, the fears of suspected Bird Flu had been scientifically allayed.