Bird Flu: Kerala issues state disaster, various states affected

NEW DELHI: Government of Kerala has declared state-specific disaster on Tuesday, January 5, and issued a high alert due to the sudden outbreak of bird flu in the state. The outbreak of the disease has been confirmed in the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha. Authorities ordered the culling of ducks, hens and other domestic birds in and around a one kilometre (km) radius of the affected areas. Officials said that around 40,000 domestic birds are to be culled, including 34,000 in Koottanad region, to curb the spread of H5N8 virus.

Bird Flu, which is also called avian influenza, has affected various states which are already suffering from the wrath of COVID-19 such as Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat. Government of India has issued high alert in various states owing to the death of various birds in large numbers.

Prem Singh Patel, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said that an alert has been issued in the aftermath of the death of 400 crows in the state. He added that the samples of dead crows has been examined by National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) and found the presence of H5N8 in some samples from Indore and Mandsaur.

Gujarat saw the death of 53 birds in Batwa area of Manavdar tehsil in Junagarh district. State government officials are on high alert after the birds were found dead across the state.

In Himachal Pradesh, over 1,900 migratory birds were found dead as a result of avian flu in Kangra district’s Pong Dam area. Government of Himachal Pradesh said that bird flu virus H5N1 has caused the death of 2,403 migratory birds in the state. The District Magistrate of Kangra has issued an order to prohibiting the sale, purchase and export of any poultry, bird or fish related products in the area.

100 birds were found dead in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district and an alert was issued after this. Lalchand Kataria, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Government of Rajasthan, said that the virus will heavily affect the birds and poultry industry.