New cases of bird flu reported in Kottayam, Kerala, slaughter to begin today | Latest India News

Kerala has recorded more cases of bird flu, this time in Kottayam district. Three cases were reported in the panchayats of Vechur, Aymanam and Kallara in the district. The samples were sent to the National High Security Animal Disease Institute in Bhopal, where avian influenza was detected.

Local authorities said the slaughter of ducks and other birds will begin on Wednesday to contain the spread of the virus. They added that 25,000 birds will be slaughtered.

This is further confirmation of bird flu in the southern state where ducks and other domestic birds have died in recent weeks.

The state government sounded the alarm in Alapuzha district last week after the state’s livestock department confirmed avian influenza (H5N1) in some samples.

On Friday, 12,000 ducks were slaughtered in district number 10 of Thakazhi gram panchayat. The decision was made after the Alapuzha district collector chaired an emergency meeting and decided to step up actions to prevent bird flu from spreading to other areas.

A total of 140 samples were sent for testing and 26 samples tested positive for avian influenza.

With many backwaters and bodies of water, farmers massively raise a duck in Alapuzha, which regularly leads to cases of bird flu. Birds from other countries are believed to be carriers of the virus. In Alapuzha and neighboring Kottayam, duck farming is an important activity and there is a high demand for water bird eggs and meat, which are usually priced higher than poultry.

The district administration has also banned the use and sale of eggs, meat and manure from ducks, chickens, quails and domestic birds in the affected areas. This restriction will apply to Champakulam, Nedumudi, Muttar, Viyapuram, Karuvatta, Thrikkunnapuzha, Thakazhi, Purakkad, Ambalapuzha South, Ambalapuzha North, Edathva panchayats and the municipality of Harippad.

Local police have been instructed to support these activities and to monitor the area. The Animal Welfare Department will provide rapid response teams and bury the birds.

Bird flu, also known as bird flu, is a variety of influenza caused by an airborne virus in birds. It can spread to humans under rare conditions, and if it does, it can trigger person-to-person transmission, experts said.