The Animal Husbandry Department has clarified that there is no panic situation in Coimbatore in the wake of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Alappuzha district in Kerala.
Coimbatore District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati said no case of the H5N1 bird flu has been reported in the district.
“The Animal Husbandry Department is screening vehicles at checkposts and taking necessary actions. We will follow further advisories, if issued,” he said.
Following reports of the bird flu in ducks in two places in Alappuzha, the Department started screening vehicles returning to Tamil Nadu, after delivering chicken, poultry products and feed in Kerala, via 12 check posts in Coimbatore district.
“As H5N1 bird flu is of zoonotic importance, all such vehicles are fumigated at the checkposts as a preventive measure. Even the poultry owners are well aware of the situation and they themselves are taking preventive measures. There is no panic situation in Coimbatore,” said R. Perumalsamy, Joint Director of the Department.
According to him, there are 1,252 poultry farms in Coimbatore district. The Department has instructed the poultry owners to report immediately in the event of unusual mass deaths of chickens.
“Paralysis of wings, bluish tint in the combs of chickens, hemorrhagic spots on shanks and running eyes and nostrils are among the signs of the infection caused by H5N1 bird flu. Officials are inspecting farms and giving instructions to owners,” Mr. Perumalsamy said.
He said that the Department conducts tests on 200 pooled samples of droppings of chickens from farms, backyard poultry and chicken stalls every year. A total of 432 serum samples collected from chickens were subjected to tests last year and none of them tested positive for serious diseases, he added.
