Mumbai, Feb. 3: Bird flu may have got countries the world over on edge, but Mumbai is battling a scare story of its own. Nearly 100 buffaloes have died mysteriously at the Parsi ka tabela cattle shed in suburban Jogeshwari since Sunday.

Veterinarians do not know what has caused the deaths, with initial investigations pointing to food poisoning.

No one is willing to hazard a guess, but locals are not taking chances. Large stocks of milk have been disposed to prevent any disease outbreak and cattle owners are rushing to veterinarians to get their livestock tested.

Samples of the food eaten by the buffaloes was sent for testing today.

Sources say the buffaloes probably died of food poisoning as they were frothing at their mouths. Other animals at the cattle shed that appear to be infected seem dazed.

Mohammad Kasam, caretaker at the tabela located on Ram Mandir road in Oshiwara, north-western Mumbai, said: “It was a huge loss as each of the buffaloes cost anywhere from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000. We will know what happened only after the medical results of the food and the post-mortem report comes in.’’

Balraj K. Patil, a businessman who has a ration shop in the vicinity, said there had been a moratorium of sorts on eating chicken once news of the bird flu spread. “Now it seems that even drinking milk is not too safe,” he said, adding: “I know of many families in Andheri and nearby areas who are going slow on the consumption of milk after reports of the bovine disease broke out.”

Veterinarians who have been camping at the spot have given injections to the surviving animals, who have been segregated. However, they said the buffaloes show no signs of improvement. “But a similar incident happened some years ago, and it was because ice-cream powder had been mixed with their food,” a veterinary doctor said.

In 1997, around 100 buffaloes died in Andheri after eating contaminated food.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) today said initial investigations had proved inconclusive. Officials have not ruled out food poisoning as the cause.

BMC officials said doctors had already stopped the animals’ routine intake of fodder at the shed and sent along blood samples for testing.

The BMC’s health committee chief Dr Anuradha Pednekar said investigations have begun but refused further comment until laboratory results are available.

The consumption of chicken has reduced in the city since reports of the bird flu came in. A number of people say they will start eating chicken again only when they are told that it is conclusively safe to do so.