Sri Lankan health authorities have assured that the death of a large number of fowls earlier at a chicken farm in Bingiriya in the North Western Province is not due to bird flu and there is no cause for concern.

Director General of the Department of Animal Products and Health Dr. Kumara de Silva at a media briefing yesterday said the infection of the chickens in the particular farm was not due to the deadly H5N1 strain.

"This is not H5N1 infection. If it was H5N1, all the fowls would have died within three days," Dr. de Silva said.