The deaths were reported from Nedumudi, Cheruthana, Karuvatta, Karthikappally, Ambalapuzha south, Punnapra south and Thakazhi.
Published Dec 23, 2025 | 11:43 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 23, 2025 | 7:27 PM
Bird flu. Representational image. (iStock)
Synopsis: Bird flu has struck Kerala’s Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, killing over 20,000 ducks in Kuttanad. Outbreaks were confirmed in multiple wards after tests in Thiruvalla and Bhopal. The Health Department launched emergency containment and surveillance measures as affected ducks showed avian influenza symptoms, prompting urgent government intervention to curb further spread.
Bird flu has been confirmed in eight wards of Alappuzha district and three wards in Kottayam, prompting the Health Department to initiate emergency containment measures.
More than 20,000 ducks have died due to the outbreak in Kuttanad, the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry informed the state government.
The deaths were reported from Nedumudi, Cheruthana, Karuvatta, Karthikappally, Ambalapuzha south, Punnapra south and Thakazhi. The ducks reportedly showed symptoms of avian influenza before dying.
Initial tests conducted at a laboratory in Thiruvalla returned positive results, which were later confirmed by the animal disease laboratory in Bhopal.
Avian influenza is a viral disease that primarily affects birds such as chickens, ducks, quails, geese and turkeys, and can spread to humans through close contact with infected birds.
Following confirmation, authorities stepped up surveillance and containment operations in the affected areas.
The Health Department said anyone developing fever after exposure should immediately report to health authorities and seek medical care.
Later in the day, the Kerala Health Department has issued strict guidelines to prevent the possible transmission of bird flu to humans, even as it clarified that no human cases have been reported in the state so far.
A State-level Rapid Response Team (RRT) meeting chaired by Health Minister Veena George reviewed the situation and directed heightened vigilance at the field level.
The Health Department said special Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical guidelines have already been circulated, and awareness activities will be intensified in the affected districts with the support of trained One Health Community Volunteers.
District-level control rooms have been set up to coordinate surveillance and response activities, while instructions have been issued to ensure adequate availability of medicines and safety equipment, including PPE kits.
The department has also begun special monitoring of people in affected areas for symptoms such as fever, severe body pain, cough and breathing difficulty. Symptomatic individuals will be monitored separately.
The Health Department warned against handling dead or infected birds and said any unnatural death of birds should be immediately reported to the Animal Husbandry Department. Though bird flu has been detected in mammals in some other countries, no such cases have been reported in Kerala, officials said.
People handling raw meat, bird droppings or working in poultry-related jobs have been identified as high-risk groups and have been advised to strictly use masks and gloves.
Consumption of raw or half-cooked meat and eggs should be avoided under all circumstances, while meat and eggs should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
In April 2024, broiler chickens, egg chickens, peacocks, crows, and other birds fell victim to the fast-spreading bird flu virus, a strain of H5N1, in Kerala.
The state reported 37 epicentres (Alappuzha – 29, Kottayam – 5 and Pathanamthitta – 3) with a staggering death toll of 62,334 birds across the three districts.
To curb the spread, authorities had to cull an additional 1,87,880 birds. At that time, an expert committee, comprising specialists from Animal Husbandry and scientists from the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, emphasised the strict implementation of the 2021 National Action Plan for bird flu prevention and control.
In April 2025, a child lost his life after contracting H5N1 in Andhra Pradesh, and a series of avian flu outbreaks were reported across multiple states, According to the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, the bird flu crisis in India has entered a worrisome new phase.
The virus, traditionally confined to poultry, is now infecting a range of non-poultry species—including tigers, leopards, jungle cats, and even pet cats—signalling an alarming cross-species transmission.
