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| Last Updated:21/03/2024

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Central team to visit bird-flu hit areas today (Source: The Hindu 07/01/2021)

             

Checking Spread: Members of a rapid response team engaged in bird culling -

operations at pallippad in Alappuzha on Wednesday

 

 

   A Central team will visit the State on Thursday to assess the bird flu situation, Animal Husbandry Minister K. Raju has said. He was speaking at a review meeting at the District Collectorate here on Wednesday. According to officials, a multi-disciplinary team will visit the avian influenza (H5N8) affected areas in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts and take stock of the situation. Meanwhile, culling of birds continued for the second day in the district. Mr. Raju said that 37,656 birds, mostly ducks, had so far been culled. “A total of 61,513 birds died/culled in the district. Surveillance will be strengthened and steps will be taken to prevent the spread of the disease,” Mr. Raju said. He said birds, including domestic birds, would be culled within a 1-km radius of the infected areas. He directed the officials to complete the culling process and sanitise the areas by Thursday.

 

From migratory birds

 

           Mr. Raju said that the probable source of bird flu was migratory birds. Social Forestry officials have been asked to monitor the migratory birds. Once the culling and sanitation drive was completed, the Animal Husbandry Department would carry out a surveillance activity over a radius up to 10 km from the hotspots for one week, Mr. Raju said. Regarding the compensation to farmers, he said that the amount would be transferred to the beneficiary bank accounts. District Animal Husbandry Officer P.K. Santhosh Kumar said that the culling operations were nearing completion. “Culling of birds is almost over except in one place at Karuvatta. The process will be completed by Thursday,” he said.

 

Fresh bird deaths

 

           Meanwhile, sources said that fresh bird deaths had been reported from a few places in the district. “The cause of deaths has not yet been ascertained. Samples have been sent for testing and results are awaited,” said an official. The Health Department has also increased surveillance in the district in view of the outbreak. Bird flu has been detected from four places in Kuttanad at Nedumudi, Thakazhi, Pallippad and Karuvatta in Alappuzha district and some parts of Kottayam district.