Alappuzha: Samples collected from at least five different types of birds were sent for testing from Alappuzha after bird flu was confirmed in the district.

On Saturday, 13 samples from Alappuzha were sent to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for testing. Those included samples from broiler chickens, quails, crows, cranes and eagles.

Meanwhile, culling was carried out in wards 15 and 16 in Cherthala municipality and Kanjikuzhi panchayat in Alappuzha district after bird flu was confirmed. “Around 6,500 birds were to be culled in both places utilising the service of 9 rapid response teams we have at our disposal,” said an official with the District Animal Husbandry Department.

Other than Alappuzha, culling was also carried out in Thiruvalla in Kottayam on Saturday, and one sample from ducks was sent to Bhopal for testing.

So far, 1,02,758 birds have been culled in the three districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta since the onset of bird flu. Of them, around 73,000 are from Alappuzha. Also, 29,589 birds from the 19 centres in the three districts have died due to the bird flu.

“While more instances of bird flu symptoms were notified to us, all of these came from places where bird flu has already been confirmed. There have been no calls from any new places reporting on symptoms of bird flu today,” the official with the District Animal Husbandry Department said.

A meeting convened by the Central Animal Husbandry Commissioner on Friday had decided to place Kerala under a special observation system to monitor the recurring incidents of bird flu here. The meeting also decided to form a special action plan to contain and neutralize the spread of bird flu in the state. The meeting was attended by the experts' team constituted under the order of State Animal Husbandry Minister J Chinchu Rani on Thursday to study the spread of bird flu in the state.