In Kerala, chickens and Ducks started killing to control the H5N8 strain of bird flu, while Jammu and Kashmir has declared an alert after flu cases were reported in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. And have started taking samples of migratory birds. Following the outbreak of infectious disease of birds in Kerala, neighboring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have increased surveillance and issued guidelines. Around 1700 ducks have died due to flu in Kerala
Officials in Madhya Pradesh said that 155 birds of the same species have been found dead in the city till date after the H5N8 virus of bird flu was confirmed in dead crows in the Residency area of Indore 8 days ago. After Jhalawar in Rajasthan, infection has also been found in birds of Kota and Baran. No cases of bird flu have been reported in Maharashtra so far. Maharashtra is bordered by Madhya Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh officials on Tuesday surveyed the areas around Pong Dam Lake Sanctuary in Kangra district to prevent the spread of poultry birds in the state. A day before this, H5N8 was found in samples of dead migratory birds. Officials of Himachal Pradesh Animal Husbandry Department said that 2700 migratory birds have been found dead in the area so far. Their samples have been sent for examination.
A campaign to kill birds was launched within a kilometer radius of the affected areas at Alappuzha and Kottayam in Kerala. This campaign has been started a day after the bird flu was confirmed in samples sent from both the districts to Bhopal laboratory. Officials said that the Quick Response Team constituted by the administration started taking action to kill ducks, chickens and other domestic birds in the radius of one kilometer of the affected area of the two districts from Tuesday under the guidelines set by the government.
The Alappuzha district administration said the campaign was launched in the four panchayats of Kuttanad region in Nedumudi, Takaji, Pallippad and Karuvatta, which is likely to be completed by Wednesday evening. There have been cases of bird flu in these areas. An official said that around 12,000 birds would be killed in the Karuvatta Panchayat area alone.
According to the administration, about 3,000 birds have been killed so far in the affected Sleepur Panchayat of Kottayam district. Nearly 1,700 ducklings have died due to bird flu at a duck rearing center in Sleepur. According to officials, about 40,000 birds will be killed in the Kuttanad area itself to prevent the spread of the virus. Despite the situation being under control, the administration has issued a high alert in the districts, because this virus has the ability to infect humans as well.
The Alappuzha district administration said the campaign was launched in the four panchayats of Kuttanad region in Nedumudi, Takaji, Pallippad and Karuvatta, which is likely to be completed by Wednesday evening. There have been cases of bird flu in these areas. An official said that around 12,000 birds would be killed in the Karuvatta Panchayat area alone.
According to the administration, about 3,000 birds have been killed so far in the affected Sleepur Panchayat of Kottayam district. Nearly 1,700 ducklings have died due to bird flu at a duck rearing center in Sleepur. According to officials, about 40,000 birds will be killed in the Kuttanad area itself to prevent the spread of the virus. Despite the situation being under control, the administration has issued a high alert in the districts, because this virus has the ability to infect humans as well.
The District Magistrate of Alappuzha has prohibited the sale and trading of meat, eggs, etc. of chicken and duck in the Kuttanad and Karthikapalli taluks. The bird flu outbreak in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore was heard on December 29 when about 50 crows were found dead in the Daily College campus of the Residency area. Samples of two of these crows were tested in a laboratory in Bhopal, when H5N8 was confirmed.
Pramod Sharma, Deputy Director of the Veterinary Department of Madhya Pradesh, told that during the last 8 days, we have found a total of 155 crow dead around the Residency area. We think that he has also died due to the H5N8 virus of bird flu because the disease has already been confirmed in the dead crows in this area. He said that the H5N8 virus infection of bird flu has not been found in birds of any species other than crows in the city so far.
Sharma said that beet samples of 120 live chickens from different areas of the city and 30 migratory birds of Sirpur Pond area have been collected and sent to a laboratory in Bhopal for bird flu examination. Their investigation report is awaited. An official of the Health Department of Madhya Pradesh said that the survey is going on to find patients with symptoms of cold, cough and fever within a radius of five kilometers of the residency area, but so far H5N8 virus infection of bird flu in any human being have not received.
Jammu and Kashmir has also issued an alert amidst bird flu cases in the neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh. Along with this, the guests who have come to the Union Territory during the winter season have started collecting samples to check the birds. Officials in Jammu and Kashmir said joint teams from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Wildlife visited the Gharana Wetland (wetland) in RS Pura sector of Jammu on Tuesday and collected samples of 25 birds for examination to ascertain if Is any bird vulnerable to deadly virus?
The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday increased surveillance on interstate borders after the outbreak of bird flu in the neighboring state of Kerala and announced a contingency plan to deal with potential cases of humans being affected. Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said avian influenza spreads rapidly and humans are also feared to be affected. Therefore, as a precaution, the Directorate General of Health Services has prepared a contingency plan. The Karnataka government has given instructions to be vigilant in the districts along the border with Maharashtra. Officials in Rajasthan said avian influenza has also been found in the test results of bird samples from Kota and Banara districts.
Lalchand Kataria, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department of the state said that avian influenza (bird flu) infection has been found in 3 districts of the state (Jhalawar, Kota and Baran) and the virus is spreading to other places which is a matter of concern. Officials said the bird death toll reached 625 by Tuesday morning in 16 of the 33 districts of Rajasthan. 86 samples from 11 districts have been sent for examination.
