Bird flu alert in Kerala: Nearly 6,000 birds to be culled in Alappuzha and Kozhikode

Kerala: Bird flu (H5N1) has been detected in Ward 7 of Muhamma Grama Panchayat in Alappuzha district, and earlier this week in Panangad, Olavanna, Kakkodi, and Perumanna panchayats, as well as Nallalam in Kozhikode district, officials confirmed on Thursday. The outbreaks have prompted authorities to launch containment measures under the Government of India’s 2021 Bird Flu Action Plan.

An emergency meeting chaired by District Collector Inbasekar Kalimuthu approved preventive and control measures. The Animal Husbandry Department has deployed rapid response teams to carry out culling operations within a one-kilometre radius of the epicentres. As many as 5,961 domestic birds in the affected Alappuzha zone are scheduled to be culled, beginning on the morning of March 21.

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The district administration has issued public safety guidelines, urging residents to remain vigilant. Unusual mass deaths of birds should be reported to the nearest veterinary hospital. People handling dead birds are advised to wear protective gear such as masks and gloves, while carcasses should be buried deeply and treated with disinfectants like lime or bleaching powder. Poultry farms in the area have been instructed to maintain strict biosecurity measures.

PTI