RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Avian influenza (H5N1) was confirmed at a poultry farm in Velpur village of Tanuku mandal, West Godavari district, after the death of several chickens on Tuesday. The virus was also detected in Kanuru village of East Godavari district. Authorities have imposed strict containment measures to prevent further spread.
West Godavari District Collector C Nagarani said samples were tested at the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, and confirmed the presence of the virus. An emergency meeting was convened with senior officials to devise containment strategies. A red zone has been declared within a one-kilometer radius of the affected farm in Velpur, with 17 nearby villages, including Attili, Iragavaram, and Komaravaram, placed under a surveillance zone.
Poultry farms in the infected area will remain closed for three months. Shops selling chicken and eggs have been shut within the red zone, and the transport of poultry products has been banned within the surveillance zone. Check posts have been set up at key locations such as Velpur railway gate, Attili, and Kothapadu to prevent unauthorised movement of poultry products.
To monitor the situation, 20 Rapid Response Teams have been deployed. The Collector urged residents to remain cautious and follow health protocols. All poultry birds, eggs, and feed in infected zones will be destroyed as per containment guidelines.
Meanwhile, in Kanuru village, East Godavari District Collector P Prasanti said sanitisation of three poultry farms had been initiated, and medical tests are being conducted for farm workers. Medical camps have been set up in 34 villages, and sanitation staff are disinfecting poultry farms with sodium chloride.
Special teams deployed to assess spread of virus
The supply of eggs to schools and Anganwadi centres in East Godavari has been halted for a week. Special teams have been deployed to Kanuru, Samisragudem, Peravali, and surrounding villages to monitor the situation and assess the spread of the virus.