India: Kerala culls 20,000 birds after Avian flu reported in Alapuzha district
Death of 1,500 ducks reported in Harippad Municipality in a week due to bird flu
Alapuzha (Kerala): With the outbreak of avian influenza being confirmed in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, authorities have begun operations to cull 16,000 birds in Haripad municipality to check the spread of the disease.
According to a statement issued by Alapuzha district collector Krishna Teja, the deaths of 1,500 ducks were reported in the 9th ward of Harippad Municipality in the last one week.
Following this, the animal husbandry department sent samples of the dead birds to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) and the result tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
The culling started on Thursday. The birds in the one-kilometre radius of infection will be culled. Eight Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), with 10 members each from various departments are engaged in the culling of birds. The team will continue surveillance and sanitisation will be conducted on Sunday.
After the outbreak of infection, a ban was imposed on transporting birds within one-kilometre radius of the hotspot. The consumption and sale of domestic birds’ eggs and meat, including duck, hen, quail in Haripad Municipality and nearby panchayats.
A four-member “bird squad” have been formed to ensure that the egg and meat of domestic birds are not sold or consumed in these regions.