Avian influenza outbreak reported in Alappuzha, Kerala

A bird flu outbreak has been reported in two places in this district, officials said here on Thursday.

The bird flu was confirmed in ducks reared in an area of ward 1 of Edathva Grama Panchayat and another area in ward 3 of Cheruthana Grama Panchayat, they said.

The disease was confirmed after the samples of the ducks showing symptoms of bird flu were sent to a lab in Bhopal for testing.

A district administration official confirmed that samples tested positive for avian influenza (H5N1).

In this situation, according to the action plan of the Government of India, a meeting chaired by the District Collector decided to initiate the process of killing and destroying (culling) domestic birds within a radius of one kilometer from the epicenter.

A Rapid Action Force will be formed and related preparations will be completed by the Animal Welfare Department as soon as possible, the official said.

The district administration said there is no need to panic unnecessarily as there is no possibility of the disease transmitting to humans.