Nepal will start culling birds from Sunday in Kakarvitta of Jhapa District, which is a bird flu emergency area, Nepali national news agency RSS reported on Saturday.

Dr. Ram Krishna Khatiwada, Chief of Bird Flu Control Room under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Nepal made the announcement Saturday.

A bird flu control team, led by Dr. Khatiwada, has arrived in Jhapa district from Kathmandu on Saturday.

Dr. Khatiwada said there are around 13,000 chickens in the bird flu-hit area, some 320 km east of Nepali capital Kathmandu. Therefore, by forming 65 rapid response teams, chickens, ducks, eggs and other poultry products would be buried in safe places from Sunday. He has asked people to cooperate during the culling process.

"I want people to come forward to help in the culling of birds to avoid bird flu. It is important to kill and bury these birds so that the flu doesn't spread to humans," he said.

He said that though it was the first time to detect the disease in Nepal, there is no reason to panic.

Sale and movement of poultry in and around the Kakarvitta has been banned and defensive measures are being taken following Nepali government's announcement of the detection of bird flu case on Friday.