Amid avian u fears, Alappuzha reports deaths of more birds

Amid fears of avian u spreading, mass bird deaths have been reported from Muttar and Ambalappuzha North in Alappuzha district.

District Animal Husbandry Ocer Sajeev Kumar K.R. said a farmer raising 2,300 ducks at Muttar lost 164 in recent days. At Ambalappuzha North, 90 chickens of the total 650 in a poultry farm had perished during the period.

“Following bird deaths, we collected samples from two places and sent them to the Avian Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Thiruvalla for testing. The tests carried out at the laboratory suspect bird u. We have decided to send the samples to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal for •nal con•rmation. It will be dispatched to Bhopal on Monday and the results are expected in a couple of days,” Dr. Kumar said.

An avian u outbreak can only be declared after con•rmation from the

Over 17,480 birds, mostly ducks, within a one-km radius of bird u hotspots, were culled earlier

NIHSAD. He said Muttar and Ambalappuzha North had been under surveillance following the bird u outbreaks at Edathua and Cheruthana last week.

Surveillance up

After the presence of the H5N1 subtype of the In

uenza A virus was con•rmed in ducks of three farmers — one at Edathua grama panchayat (Ward 1) and two at Cheruthana panchayat (Ward 3) — rapid response teams of the Animal Husbandry Department culled 17,480 birds, mostly ducks, within a one-km radius of bird u hotspots on April 19.

The avian in uenza virus can be transmitted to humans. The Health department has tightened preventive steps and urged people to maintain caution. Surveillance has been strengthened within a 10km radius of the hotspots.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Members of rapid response teams engaged in culling ducks at Cheruthana in Alappuzha on Friday.