Thiruvananthapuram: Two districts in Kerala, Alappuzha and Kottayam, have been put on high alert after bird flu cases have been confirmed in ducks, said K Raju, State Animal Husbandry Minister. Close to 50,000 ducks will be culled to check the spread of the virus and the government will compensate farmers.
Thiruvananthapuram: Two districts in Kerala, Alappuzha and Kottayam, have been put on high alert after bird flu cases have been confirmed in ducks, said K Raju, State Animal Husbandry Minister. Close to 50,000 ducks will be culled to check the spread of the virus and the government will compensate farmers.
Samples airlifted to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, tested positive for the bird flu virus, the Minister said, adding that the infection has not been reported in human beings so far. The presence of the H5N8 subtype of the Influenza A virus is reported in ducks in regions -- Thalavadi, Thakazhy, Pallipad, Karuvatta in Alappuzha district and Neendoor in Kottayam district.
While the officials are yet to ascertain the source of the infections, the state is put ob hugh alert to prevent an outbreak. Ducks reared in and around the infected areas have to be culled, say experts.
It maybe recalled that in 2016, bird flu was reported in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala and around 2 lakh chicken and ducks were culled to control the outbreak.
Avian Flu
Bird flu, also known as avian flu, is a variety of influenza caused by a virus in birds. It can spread to humans and can trigger a person to person transmission, experts say. According to WHO, there are many subtypes of avian influenza virus and only some of them will be dangerous to humans.