In the wake of incidents of bird flu cases in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts, the Kerala government has directed the authorities to step up efforts to bring the situation under control.
The Animal Husbandry department on May 12, officially verified the outbreak of avian flu at the Kerala Government Duck Farm located in Niranom, Pathanamthitta.
It marks the first instance of the disease being confirmed within the confines of the farm.
According to Harikumar, the district animal husbandry officer in Pathanamthitta, a test of samples at the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal, has confirmed the outbreak of the disease. Over the past few days, about 150 ducks at the farm perished, prompting the submission of samples to NIHSAD for examination.
As per estimates, the farm has a stock of 4,600 birds, which includes 2,000 ducklings. Alongside the entire bird stock, a wide stock of the germ plasm of the local duck species conserved at the farm will also have to be destroyed.
Efforts to contain the outbreak
“Following a meeting convened by the District Collector on May 13, Monday, the culling operation is scheduled to commence on May 14, Tuesday. This operation will extend to a radius of one-kilometre area around the affected duck farm,” the official said. Notably, Niranom village hosts numerous farmers actively involved in duck farming.
Earlier the other day, authorities had confirmed the outbreak of the disease in the upper Kuttanadan villages of Alappuzha district as well.
Given recent reports of the avian influenza virus in cattle in the United States, field-level officials of the Department of Animal Welfare have been directed to conduct intensive inspections and observations in farms and agro-cattle enterprises, it added.
In light of these developments, vigilance has been heightened at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu borders. The Animal Husbandry department has deployed teams at checkpoints, including Walayar on the Tamil Nadu border, to inspect and disinfect all vehicles, including goods wagons from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, before permitting passage. Concurrently, the Department of Health has bolstered its efforts to contain the spread of bird flu.
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