KOPPAL: A sudden outbreak of an unidentified disease has killed thousands of chickens over the past few days in Koppal village.
Poultry farm owners said the illness is spreading fast through local farms, raising an alarm among villagers and threatening the livelihoods of many. Some poultry owners have not buried the dead chickens, but have thrown them in the open. Farmers have now complained to gram panchayat officials to take action against these farm owners. GP officials said they will call experts soon to examine the situation and to pinpoint the exact cause of deaths.
Experts said they will visit the poultry farms, take blood samples and send them for testing. Residents of B Hosalli said that nearly 10,000 chickens died in their village some six months ago, and the presence of H5N1 was confirmed.
One of the villagers said, “By not disposing of the dead, infected chickens properly, poultry owners are increasing the risk of triggering an epidemic. This is a crime. Villagers are already scared of H5N1 and are refusing to eat eggs and chicken. We request gram panchayat and other officials to take strict action against guilty poultry owners.”
Veterinary Department staff visited the farms, took samples and sent them to Madhya Pradesh for testing. The report is expected in two to three days, they said.