KOCHI: The bird flu outbreak has come at a time when the state is reeling from another wave of food poisoning incidents. Health Minister Veena George has urged the public to take precautions to prevent the transmission of infection from birds to humans.
“There is no need for panic, but we must be vigilant,” she says. “Everyone should follow the guidelines.” Following alerts from the health ministry, mass culling of birds was carried out in Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram districts.
In the state capital, as many as 3,000 birds were culled within the 1km radius of the Perunguzhi Junction ward. The team destroyed eggs, meat, feed and bird droppings, too, as a precautionary measure. Nearby panchayats have been declared as “surveillance zones”.
A health official notes the “precautionary measures” were initiated after 200 ducks died of bird flu on a farm in the Perunguzhi area. The health department, the official adds, has started monitoring fever cases reported from places suspected of bird flu outbreaks.
On Saturday, Chempu panchayat in Kottayam confirmed bird flu. Poultry Birds within the 1km radius were culled as a precautionary measure. Over 50 household birds in the nearby Amballur and Udayamperoor panchayats of Ernakulam district, too, were culled scientifically, says an animal husbandry department official.
A dedicated team comprising officials from various departments is “on alert and monitoring the situation” and the situation is “under control”, the official adds. Kerala consumes about 40,000 tonnes of poultry meat every month, and nearly 8 lakh people are directly involved in the industry. Health experts caution that those working closely with live-infected poultry are at high risk of getting avian influenza.
“The chances of human transmission is there and, even if it is a remote one, the case mortality is 60 per cent,” says Dr T S Anish, assistant professor of community medicine at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. “We are doing our best to curb the spread of the virus.”
He says climate change could be a reason for recurring bird flu outbreaks. “Migratory birds are the carriers. We need to keep monitoring as mutation of the virus could turn fatal for humans. Already there is a wide range of influenza viruses here,” he notes.
“The bird flu virus, however, will not survive above 60 degree celsius and, hence, well-cooked poultry dishes are safe for consumption.” Notably, about 40 to 60 per cent of the poultry comes from neighbouring states. Kerala Poultry Farmers and Traders Committee secretary T S Pramod says business has been hit in areas where bird flu outbreaks have been reported.
“Otherwise, the business is good. There are vaccinations available for birds. In Tamil Nadu, it is being administered. It would be great if the state government provides vaccines for poultry animals here, too,” he adds.
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Symptoms include intense body pain, fever, cough, respiratory issues, and blood in phlegm.
With inputs from Aishwarya Prabhakaran.