Chennai: Following a rise in avian influenza cases in parts of Kerala, including Alappuzha and Kottayam, authorities in Tamil Nadu have stepped up surveillance in border districts to stop the disease from entering the state.

Monitoring has been strengthened, with a focus on the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts, which share an extended and porous border with Kerala.

Based on instructions from the Animal Husbandry Department, special preventive steps are being carried out under the supervision of Joint Director Dr Balakrishnan. As part of these measures, check posts have been set up in the Gudalur and Panthalur taluks of Nilgiris district to keep close watch on the movement of poultry and associated materials coming from Kerala.

Nilgiris District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya said the transport of live poultry, eggs, poultry waste and other related items from Kerala into the district has been temporarily prohibited as a safety measure.

The move comes in response to the growing number of bird flu cases reported in neighbouring Kerala districts and the possible risk of the infection spreading into Tamil Nadu.

To ensure proper implementation, special surveillance teams have been stationed at eight check posts along the Kerala border and one along the Karnataka border. Each team includes a veterinary assistant, a veterinary inspector and a livestock maintenance assistant, working alongside officials from the police, forest and revenue departments.

Officials have cautioned that avian influenza affects not only domestic poultry such as chickens, ducks and turkeys but can also spread through wild and migratory birds. There is also a risk of transmission to humans, making early detection and prevention critical.

Authorities have advised poultry farmers to strictly adhere to biosecurity measures. Farmers have been instructed to prevent wild birds from entering poultry farms, avoid rearing different species of birds together, restrict the entry of outsiders and vehicles into farm premises, and refrain from sharing farm equipment.

Disinfection of farm tools and equipment at least twice a month has been made mandatory. Farmers have also been urged to immediately report any unusual illness or sudden deaths among birds to the nearest veterinary assistant or animal husbandry office, enabling swift containment measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza.

Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday said the bird flu situation in the state is "under control", adding that precautionary measures are being taken to prevent any possible transmission of the virus from birds to humans.

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, George said the Animal Husbandry Department has already initiated necessary action in the affected areas.

"It's under control, and the animal husbandry department has already taken action. We are trying to avoid the transmission of the virus from birds to humans," she said.

The Health Minister added that preventive protocols are being strictly followed in areas where bird flu cases have been reported. "In all those areas, we are asking people to wear masks, and also those who work in the poultry farms where the flu is reported, as per the protocol, they are observing isolation," she stated.

George further noted that preliminary assessments indicate the infected birds may have been brought in from outside the state.

"When we took the meeting, we understood that these birds were brought from some other places, from some place outside Kerala. The animal husbandry department will reveal that," she said.

(with inputs from IANS & ANI)