ALAPPUZHA/KOTTAYAM: The rapid response teams (RRT) formed by the Animal Husbandry Department following the outbreak of a new avian influenza strain (H5N8) infection among ducks in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts started culling birds in Kuttanad on Tuesday. Nine RRTs led by veterinary surgeons culled 20,300 ducks at Pallippad, Karuvatta, Nedumudi and Thakazhi panchayats in Alappuzha district. In Kottayam district’s Neendoor grama panchayat, 3,810 birds were culled.
T K Santhosh Kumar, Alappuzha district animal husbandry officer, said, “The team members wearing PPE kit killed the ducks and burnt them. After the burial of the remains, the department sanitised the areas. The step was taken to avoid the spread of H5N8 strain of the influenza virus to other areas. The virus infection has been identified in four panchayats in the district and testing is progressing to identify whether the disease has spread to more areas.”
The virus infection found in one farm each in the four panchayats where around 24,000 ducks died in two weeks. The preliminary survey by the department identified around 50,000 ducks in total in the region in one-kilometre radius of the four farms where the outbreak has been reported.
In ward 14 of Neendoor panchayat in Kottayam, RRT killed domestic birds, including pets and ducks, in the farm where bird flu was confirmed and in area within one-kilometre radius of the farm.
According to Kottayam District Collector M Anjana, around 10,400 birds have been identified to be culled in the region to ensure the containment of the avian influenza virus. “We have commenced culling activities and we expect to complete the activities in three-four days. As of now, the virus has not been detected from any other place. We are closely watching the situation and the forest department has been directed to keep a tab on migratory birds,” Anjana said.
Thomaskutty, a duck farmer of Karuvatta North in Alappuzha, said he had nurtured around 6,000 ducklings and 3,200 of these died due to bird flu. “The remaining ducks were culled by the department officials. Ducks of a majority of the 35 farmers in the region were destroyed by the RRTs. Earlier, the government had proposed a plan to insure the ducks, but it was not implemented. If the ducks were insured, we would have got around `70 per duck that died. We are now facing a huge loss,” he said.
The health department has also begun surveillance to check whether any person has been infected with bird flu. “Since Covid-19 spread remains in the region, we are examining all persons who have fever, cough or other symptoms of flu. Strict direction has been given to all primary health centres and health officials in Kuttanad areas to examine all people who have symptoms of flu,” the officer said.