Avian influenza outbreak: over 5,900 birds culled in Alappuzha

ALAPPUZHA

Rapid response teams of the Animal Husbandry department (AHD) on Saturday culled 5,928 ducks at H5N1-hit Ayaparambu Pandi in Cheruthana grama panchayat.

Besides ducks, nine other birds within the 1-km radius of the hotspot were culled to keep the virus at bay. Carcasses of the culled birds were burned as per the standard operating procedure.

Officials said the bird culling operation had been completed and mopping would be conducted on Monday. The bird culling operation was launched a day after the Centre notified the outbreak of the H5N1 subtype of the Influenza A virus in ducks in the local body. A farmer who was raising ducks in paddy polders lost several birds over the past week. Following the mass death of ducks, the AHD sent samples of dead birds to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for analyses, which tested positive for avian influenza.

Both the AHD and Health department have tightened surveillance in the region.

Avian flu has so far been confirmed in two local bodies in Alappuzha. The outbreak was first confirmed in ducks at Vazhuthanam in Haripad municipality on October 26. It resulted in the death/culling of around 18,000 ducks belonging to two farmers there.

Bird culling in Cheruthana was carried out under the guidance of District Animal Husbandry officer D.S. Bindhu. AHD Deputy Director Vinayakumar, Chief Veterinary Officer Santhosh, and epidemiologist Vysakh and other officials were also present.