69K birds culled over bird flu scare
At present, there are 12 epicentres of Avian Influenza spread in four states
Thiruvananthapuram: Over 69,000 birds including ducks and chicken were culled in
Alappuzha and Kottayam districts to contain the H5N8 strain of bird flu, Kerala ani
mal husbandry minister K. Raju said. Nineteen 19 Rapid Response Teams have been
engaged in culling birds in the districts and the regions suspected to have infected the birds will be sanitised.
Union health ministry has deployed multi-disciplinary teams to the Avian Influenza affected Alappuzha and Kottayam districts of Kerala, and Panchkula in Haryana.
The move comes shortly after the department of animal husbandry notified detection of Avian Influenza (H5N8), also known as bird flu, in the samples of dead poultry ducks from Alappuzha and Kottayam districts in Kerala, and from poultry samples from Panchkula in Haryana.
Besides, advisory has been issued to Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh where too cases of Avian Influenza have been detected, to avoid further spread of the infection.
According to the Union government, at present there are 12 epicentres of bird flu spread in four states.
In Rajasthan dead crows were found in Baran, Kota and Jhalawar; in Madhya Pradesh samples of dead crows were positive to avian influenza in Mandsaur, Indore, and Malwa; while in Himachal Pradesh samples of dead migratory birds tested positive in Kangra. Officials said in Kerala there are four epicenters in Kottayam, and Allapuzha.
“As per the report received, Kerala has already initiated control and containment operations from January 5, at epicentres and culling process is in operation,” officials in Union ministry of animal husbandry said.
They added the measures suggested to the affected states to contain the disease and prevent further spread as per the Action Plan on avian influenza include strengthening the biosecurity of poultry farms, disinfection of affected areas, proper disposal of dead birds/carcasses, timely collection and submission of samples for confirmation and further surveillance, intensification of surveillance plan as well as the general guidelines for prevention of disease spread from affected birds to poultry and human.
Besides, coordination with forest department
for reporting any unusual mortality of birds has also been suggested to the states. The other states were also requested to keep a vigil on any unusual mortality amongst birds and to report immediately to take necessary measures.
In India, the disease spreads mainly in winters through migratory birds.
India notified outbreak of influenza in 2006.
So far infection in humans is yet reported in the country though the disease is zoonotic.
“There is no direct evidence that avian influenza viruses can be transmitted to humans via the consumption of contaminated poultry products. Implementing management practices that incorporate bio security principles, personal hygiene, and cleaning and disinfection protocols, as well as cooking and processing standards, are effective means of controlling the spread of the AI viruses,” officials asserted.
They, however, said secondary spread by human handling (through fomites) cannot be ruled out. its first
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