As many as 6,000 birds were culled, even as Lakshadweep banned shipping of frozen poultry from Kerala.
Duck farming in the backwaters of Alappuzha. An outbreak of bird flu has killed 1,500 birds. (Representational image/Wikimedia Commons)
The bird flu outbreak in Kerala shows no signs of abating.
On Sunday, 25 December, authorities announced that as many as 6,000 birds were culled in three separate panchayats of Kottayam district with confirmed cases of bird flu, or avian influenza.
A total of 6,017 birds, mostly ducks, were killed on Saturday in the Vechur, Neendoor and Arpookara panchayats of the district, a release from the district administration said.
Around 133 ducks and 156 chickens in Vechur, 2,753 ducks in Neendoor and 2,975 ducks in Arpookara were killed, the release said.
Avian influenza, is a highly contagious zoonotic disease.
Meanwhile, the Lakshadweep administration banned the transportation of frozen chicken to the islands from the mainland due to the outbreak of bird flu in Kerala.
The Animal Husbandry Department of the Union territory decided to ban chicken from Kerala on Friday, 23 December.
In its communication to the Director of Port, Shipping and Aviation at Kavaratti, the department said, “The outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu), a highly contagious zoonotic disease, has been reported in the neighbouring state of Kerala.”
“Hence, it is decided to ban the transportation of frozen chicken from the mainland to the Lakshadweep Islands.”
The department requested that the officers concerned be instructed to ensure that frozen chicken is not loaded onto ships or barges from the mainland to the archipelago in the Arabian Sea.
Authorities in Kerala’s Kottayam district ordered the culling of at least 8,000 birds, including ducks, within a kilometre radius of Arpookara and Thalayazham panchayats last week.
The outbreak of bird flu — or avian influenza — was reported from these two panchayats.
Additionally, a three-day ban on the sale and import of poultry and allied products like eggs was also imposed. The ban, imposed in a 10-km radius, was later lifted.
Samples tested at the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal confirmed the presence of the globally prevalent H5N1 strain of the virus.
The frequent outbreak of bird flu has affected poultry farmers in Kerala. In October, around 1,500 birds died of the disease. Following the outbreak, Tamil Nadu banned the transport of poultry products to that state in November.
Bird flu is a zoonotic influenza affecting both wild and domestic birds. Outbreaks are mostly reported during winter, and experts have held migratory birds responsible for bringing the pathogens. Additionally, the influenza type A viruses that cause bird flu, thrive in colder climates.
The fast-spreading virus, besides killing birds, infects humans as well. The World Health Organisation attributed 457 human deaths to the H5N1 virus in 21 countries between 2003 and November 2022.
Experts said infected birds could often be asymptomatic. Infected birds spread the virus through their saliva, mucous, and faeces.
Microdroplets containing the virus suspended in the air could enter the human body through the eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled, besides through close contact with the infected bird or surface containing the virus.
(With PTI inputs)
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