KOLLAM: Incidents of bird deaths were reported from various parts of the district such as Karunagapally, Sasthamkotta and Eravipuram on Wednesday. However, the cause of the deaths has not yet been confirmed.
Deaths of ducklings and chicken have created panic following the detection of avian influenza in the neighbouring districts.
The Animal Husbandry Department has intensified inspections in the district. Samples of birds have been collected from 15 panchayats and sent to the government laboratory at Palode. A rapid response team has also been formed for quick action in case of emergency, according to Dr J Chandramohan, District Officer, Animal Husbandry Department. He said that only the test results can point out the real cause of the deaths and appealed to the people not to panic. “It is common for the ducklings transported from Tamil Nadu without proper vaccination to die. I also feel that the number of deaths is inflated,” said Chandramohan.
The samples have to be sent to the government lab in Bangalore to get a final confirmation on avian influenza. Meanwhile, the Animal Husbandry Department has banned the transport of live birds and bird meat to the district.