After Alappuzha district, bird flu has been confirmed in neighbouring Kottayam. Bird flu was detected in the samples collected from the regional poultry farm of the Animal Husbandry Department at Manarcadu. 

Following the mysterious sudden death of poultry at the farm, samples were sent for testing at the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal. The Manarcadu centre has 9,000 poultry birds. 

Five squads have been formed to prevent the spread of the bird flu. The culling of birds will begin in the coming days. As a precautionary measure, the sale of all types of poultry and related products have been banned till further notice in wards 12, 13, 14 of Manarcadu Panchayat and wards 2 and 3 in Puthuppally.

Besides, the sale and transportation of poultry and related products from the remaining wards of Manarcadu and Puthuppally panchayats and the following local bodies have been banned till May 29. Those places are Kottayam, Ettumannoor, Vijayapuram, Thiruvarpp, Aymanam, Arpookara, Athirampuzha, Ayarkunnam, Kidangoor, Akalakunnam, Pallikkathodu, Pampady, Meenadom, Karukachal, Vakathanam, Panachikadu and Kooroppada.

Several cases of bird flu have been reported in the Alappuzha district in recent weeks. Kuttanad has been the worst affected. A central team had recently visited Kuttanad and suggested formulating a special action plan for the region.