Eight samples sent for testing to a Bhopal-based laboratory has confirmed bird flu in Delhi, officials said on Monday

All eight samples — four from a park in Mayur Vihar Phase 3, three from Sanjay Lake and one from Dwarka — have been found positive for avian influenza, Dr Rakesh Singh from the animal husbandry unit of the Development Department said.

The report of the test results arrived on Monday morning, he said.

A drive to cull ducks has begun at the famous Sanjay Lake, where 10 ducks were found dead recently, Singh added. Officials earlier said that around 50 crows had died in Central Park, Mayur Vihar Phase 3 in a span of three to four days. A few samples were also sent to a lab in Jalandhar. Their results are awaited, Singh said.

The Delhi Development Authority has already closed Hauz Khas Park, Dwarka Sector 9 Park, Hastsal Park and Sanjay Lake as a precautionary measure in view of the bird flu scare. Hauz Khas Park in south Delhi has a huge water body and attracts a large crowd every day. However, no death of birds has been reported there.

The poultry market in Ghazipur has also been shut down temporarily.