Bird-flu scare: Kerala begins culling in Alappuzha region

During the initial examination, around 2,000 ducks were found to have signs of infection

ALAPPUZHA: Kerala began culling of flu-infected ducklings in Cheruthana in Alappuzha on Wednesday after about 3,000 ducks died in Thakazhi, Edathua and a few areas in Upper Kuttanad earlier this week.
Culling is also in progress in the Thakazhi panchayat.

Around 180 ducklings with symptoms of bird flu were culled early on Wednesday, said V Gopakumar, district officer of the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD). The culling is being done by 20 Rapid
Response Teams constituted by AHD under the Kerala's Agriculture Ministry.

During the initial examination, around 2,000 ducks were found to have signs of infection, officials said. They will be culled if further tests confirm bird-flu symptoms.

Meanwhile, the Animal Husbandry Department officials said there was no need to panic. The breakout is reportedly common in the Kuttanad region, especially during summer. “There is no chance the flu
will get contracted to human beings,” said an official.

He, however, added that steps have been taken to help prevent the spread of the disease from one area to another, and the poultry farmers are directed to not move the ducks from one area to another.

On Tuesday, district collector Veena N Madhvan after a meeting with AHD officials had informed the media about 20 rapid respomse teams who have started prevention activities in the affected areas.

According to the officials, the virus in the latest outbreak is not as deadly. In November 2014, there was a major bird flu scare in the region, and nearly 2 lakh ducks and about 50,000 chickens were
infected by H5N1 virus had to be culled. Also, over three lakh people were examined for the virus at the time, recall officials.

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