Bird Flu Under Control in Kerala; More Cases Reported from Rajasthan, Punjab, MP and HP

As the outbreak of bird flu has been reported from some parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts in Kerala, measures to contain the spread of the virus are being taken, including the culling of ducks, hens and other domestic birds in and around one-kilometre radius of the affected areas. 

The Kottayam district authorities said that bird flu has been reported from a duck farm in Neendoor. Around 1,500 ducks have died in the farm. Similarly, bird flu outbreak has been reported from farms in Kuttanad region of Alappuzha district. So far, more than 40,000 birds have been culled in the affected areas in Alappuzha district by the Rapid Action Force. Earlier, as many as 23,857 birds had died in the district due to the flu. 

Tests conducted at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal have also confirmed the bird flu outbreak caused by the H5N8 virus, officials said. 

Though the virus does not pose a threat to human beings, a mutated virus may spread to the human body. So, the people who are dealing with the infected birds, raw meat and bird excreta have been advised to take all precautions. The officials have also advised people to consume fully cooked meat and eggs.

Although the situation has been brought under control for now, authorities have sounded a high alert in the districts considering the potential of the virus to infect humans, sources said. 

While the Kerala government has already declared bird-flu as a state-specific disaster, it issued a high alert after the outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in various parts.

Bird flu occurs naturally in wild waterfowl and can spread to domestic poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The disease is transmitted via contact with an infected bird's faeces, or secretions from its nose, mouth or eye. The last major case of bird flu was reported in the state in 2016. 

The bird flu, however, has induced losses to the poultry farmers in the region. Considering this, the state Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday decided to give compensation to poultry farmers in the affected areas.

For birds more than two months old, the farmers will be given Rs 200 per bird.  But for birds less than two months old, Rs 100 will be given as compensation. Also, Rs 5 will be given for per egg destroyed. 

The affected areas and its 10 km surroundings will be under the strict monitoring of officials. Sample tests will also be conducted in the area.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Wednesday deployed multi-disciplinary teams in bird flu-affected areas of Kerala and Haryana. The bird flu outbreak has been reported at 12 epicentres in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, and advisories have been issued to contain further spread of the infection in poultry ducks, crows and migratory birds, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy said. 

Madhya Pradesh has banned the entry of chicken consignments from southern states for 10 days as a precautionary measure. Rajasthan reported that bird flu was detected in Swai Madhopur after it had spread in Jhalawar, Kota, Baran and Jaipur districts.

Punjab is the latest to be affected after Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Punjab has put its officials on alert. Further, Himachal Pradesh has started random sampling of poultry around a wetland, where 3,000 migratory birds have died since December 28.

The current bird flu outbreak emerged barely a few months after India on September 30, 2020, declared the country free from the disease. India notified the first outbreak of avian influenza in 2006. 

The Ministry said it has set up a 'control room' in Delhi to keep a watch on the situation and control measures are being taken as per the guidelines of a national action plan for avian influenza. 

Reports of avian influenza have been received for poultry samples from Panchkula district in Haryana, the Ministry said in a statement, a day after samples were collected from farms by the Jalandhar-based Regional Disease Diagnosis Laboratory (RDDL) in the wake of over four lakh poultry birds dying in the past 10 days. 

Two multi-disciplinary teams comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology, PGIMER Chandigarh, RML Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, have been deployed to the affected districts on January 4 to assist the health departments of the states in implementing the Union health ministry's avian influenza containment plan.

(With Inputs from PTI)