Birds in 1-km radius of bird flu hotspots to be culled
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With avian influenza (bird flu H5N8) being detected amongst geese at 4 locations in Alappuzha district, the authorities have determined to cull birds throughout the 1-km radius of contaminated areas.
District Collector A. Alexander, who chaired a gathering on the District Collectorate right here to take inventory of the state of affairs, directed the officers to provoke measures to test the unfold of the illness.
According to the Animal Husbandry Department, bird flu was detected in Kuttanad at Nedumudi, Thakazhi, Pallippad and Karuvatta. The culling operations will start on Tuesday morning. “We have identified 34,602 birds, a majority of them ducks for culling. These include 5,975 birds within the 1-km radius of the infected area in Nedumudi, 11,250 birds in Thakazhi, 4,627 birds in Pallippad and 12,750 birds in Karuvatta. The culling will be completed in three days,” stated an Animal Husbandry Department official.
A speedy response crew comprising 18 members has been constituted for the aim. The crew will be led by a veterinary physician. Other members of the crew embrace two livestock inspectors, two attenders, one every income and grama panchayat officers, one policeman and two helpers amongst others.
An ordinary working process has been handed over to the officers chosen. “The birds will be culled in a place close to the infected area. Carcasses of the culled birds will be burned. Firewood, diesel and sugar needed will be provided by the respective grama panchayats. All those involved in the culling operations will wear PPE kits. They will also be given preventive medicines,” stated an official.
Although the Animal Husbandry Department collected samples from six locations in the district and despatched it to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for evaluation, solely 4 samples examined optimistic for bird flu. This is the third outbreak of avian influenza in the district in the previous seven years. In 2014, hundreds of geese died/culled in the area following a extremely infectious bird flu outbreak attributable to H5N1 virus. Two years later avian influenza attributable to the H5N8 virus was detected amongst geese in Kuttanad.
Meanwhile, the Health Department has launched a survey in and across the contaminated areas. People are being checked for fever and different illnesses. The division has urged the folks to keep warning in view of the outbreak. Officials stated that the H5N8 virus didn’t often infect human beings. However, mutations may happen and the virus may be transmitted to human beings, officers warned.
