Kozhikode: With avian influenza being reported from two poultry farms in Kerala's Kozhikode district, the state government has decided to cull domestic birds in the areas.
Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, was detected in chickens from two poultry farms at Vengeri and Kodiyathoor villages this week. Chickens raised in nearby households were also found infected.
Chickens, ducks and other domestic birds in and around one kilometre radius of the two farms will be culled and disposed off safely from Sunday.
State Forest and Animal Husbandry Minister K Raju said that alert has been sounded and safety guidelines have been given in the region. The minister said so far, no cases of avian flu in humans were reported from the state this year.
State health Minister K K Shailaja said that there was no need to panic.
The outbreak came as the state remains on alert after three positive cases of Coronavirus infections were reported from the state in the last two months. The patients were recovered and discharged after treatment last month.
After chickens started dying in the village few days ago, samples were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, which confirmed the presence of avian influenza.
Following this, the health department has sounded alert for a 10km area around the village.
District Collector Sreeram Sambasiva Rao chaired an urgent meeting of officials of the departments of animal husbandry, health and police on Saturday to take stock of the situation in the wake of the outbreak of the avian flu.
The state government has drawn up an action plan, including deployment of action teams each comprising five members including one from the animal husbandry and health departments, the collector told reporters here.
He advised the public not to panic and said necessary measures were being taken to contain the spread.
"Swift action has been initiated to cull all chickens, ducks and other domestic birds in and around one kilometre radius of the two farms. This is only to prevent spreading of the virus to nearby areas.
Though the exact numbers are not available, it could run to few a hundred including all chicken in these two poultry farms," Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry Office, Thiruvananthapuram, M K Prasad said.
Avian influenza was last reported from Kerala in 2016. Thousands of ducks were culled in Alappuzha district then to control the spread of the disease.
(With PTI inputs)
