Rapid Response Teams (RRT) of the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) will carry out bird culling operations in the avian flu-hit regions of Kuttanad in Alappuzha on Friday.
Officials said that around 21,000 ducks would be culled at Edathua and Cheruthana, the bird flu hotspots. Besides, all domesticated birds within the one-km radius of the hotspots will be culled.
“The Centre has notified the outbreak of disease. We have constituted eight RRTs to cull birds. Four teams each will be deployed to Edathua and Cheruthana. The process will be completed on Friday itself,” said Dr. Sajeev Kumar K.R., District Animal Husbandry Officer, adding that the culling and disposal of carcasses would be done as per the standard operating procedure.
The presence of the H5N1 subtype of the Influenza A virus has been reported in ducks of three farmers — one at Edathua grama panchayat (Ward 1) and two at Cheruthana panchayat (Ward 3).
Ducks started to show symptoms of the disease a week ago. Abraham Ouseph at Edathua, who was raising 7,500 ducks, lost some 3,000 birds in the past week. Raghunathan Chirayil and Devarajan T., who were raising 2,000 and 15,000 ducks respectively at Cheruthana, also lost birds during the period.
Following the mass death of ducks, the AHD sent samples of the dead birds to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for analyses, which tested positive for avian influenza on Tuesday.
District Collector Alex Varghese on Thursday announced a ban on the movement, sale and use of meat, egg and waste (manure) of duck, chicken, quail, and other domestic birds till April 25 in Kainakary, Nedumudi, Champakulam, Ambalappuzha South, Thakazhi, Cheruthana, Veeyapuram, Thalavadi, Muttar, Ramankary, Veliyanad, Kavalam, Ambalappuzha North, Neelamperoor, Punnapra South, Purakkad, Pulinkunnu, Thrikkunnapuzha, Kumarapuram, Chingoli, Cheppad, Chennithala, Karuvatta, Mannar, Karthikappally, Pallippad and Edathua grama panchayats and Haripad municipality in Alappuzha; Vazhappally grama panchayat and Changanassery municipality in Kottayam; and Kadapra, Nedumpuram, Peringara and Niranam grama panchayats in Pathanamthitta.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued, the AHD said there was no need to panic. It, however, urged the people to maintain caution. Measures have been initiated to check the spread of the disease, the statement added.
The AHD has opened a control room in Alappuzha. Contact number- 0477-2252636.
