After Coronavirus, Bird Flu Scare Hits Kerala, 13000 Chickens To Be Culled To Prevent Infection
Even as the country is battling an outbreak of the Coronavirus (Covid-19), Kerala has been hit by another epidemic scare. Two poultry farms in the state have reported cases of Bird Flu.?
The infection was confirmed in two chicken farms, West Kodiyathoor and Vengeri of Kozhikode district.One of them is a private farm and another is a nursery.Following the death of some 2000 birds earlier this week, due to the disease in the farms, samples were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal which confirmed the bird flu, also known as avian flu.?
After the disease was confirmed the state authorities have decided to cull and burn some 13,000 poultry birds within a 1-kilometre area to prevent the outbreak. Nests on trees and eggs will be destroyed.The district administration directed to shut down chicken farms and shops in the area.?
The administration, however, insisted that the situation is under control and there is nothing to be scared of.State Health Minister, K.K. Shailaja, said it is "quite natural" during this season of the year. "There is nothing to be worried about. What is required is culling and it will take place."?
Kozhikode District Collector, Sambasiva Rao, informed that the state government assured a reasonable compensation to the owners of poultry birds which are culled and burned as part of bird flu prevention in the district.?
Rao has been tasked with ensuring that proper protocol is employed to cull birds within one square km in the affected areas."Poultry in the affected areas will have to be culled and 25 special teams have been formed for the purpose. Everything is under control," said Rao.Each team consists of a veterinarian and four others.?
Avian influenza refers to the disease caused by infection with bird influenza flu Type A viruses. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Avian flu viruses do not normally infect humans.?
This is the second time in the past few years bird flu outbreak has been reported in the state.In 2016,?there was a massive outbreak of the disease in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts. The backwaters and paddy fields of Alappuzha are home to some of the biggest duck farms in the state and some 2 lakh chicken and ducks were culled to control the outbreak, at the time.? ? ?
