Another bout of bird flu in Alappuzha

Case against farmer who transported ducks despite a ban on their movement

A fresh bout of bird flu has been detected in Alappuzha district. Officials of the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) said that rapid response teams had culled 6,920 ducks belonging to a farmer at Vellamkulangara in Veeyapuram grama panchayat. The culling was carried out on Friday after samples of dead ducks, which were sent to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for analyses, tested positive for avian influenza.

Officials said the farmer, identified as Shefeek of Thamarakulam, had brought around 10,000 ducks to Veeyapuram a few weeks ago despite a ban on movement of birds to and from the grama panchayat. The district administration had earlier issued orders banning movement and sale of duck, chicken, quail and other domestic birds and the use of their egg and meat in a number of grama panchayats following bird flu outbreaks in different places in the district.