Across India, lakhs of birds have been found dead in the last 10 days. At least four states - Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan- have confirmed bird flu, sounding an alert as the authorities step up efforts to contain the spread. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are also vigilant after 12,000 ducks died in the last few days in neighbouring Kerala. In the northern part of the country, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, close to Himachal Pradesh, have also started investigating samples amid scare. Bird flu or avian flu viruses can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.