The Maharashtra government Wednesday said it is yet to identify the cause behind the outbreak of bird flu, which had surfaced in Jalgaon after it was first detected in Nandurbar district in the state.

• Bird Flu Hits India

"We have not yet ascertained the cause behind the outbreak of this disease (in poultry). Our current priority is to contain the spread of avian influenza virus further and prevent it from getting spilled over to humans," Maharashtra Chief Secretary D K Sankaran told PTI in Jalgaon.

Though a senior state government official in an interview to PTI after the Nandurbar outbreak had suspected the role of migratory birds for bird flu, Sankaran was non-committal.

He said the process to contain the spread of the virus had begun by following mandatory procedures like culling the birds within and around the infected zone of Jalgaon.

"We are aware that ascertaining the cause of this disease is equally important. But that can be done later, once the entire virus containment process is over," he said.