Fresh cases of bird flu detected in Kerala’s Alappuzha district
Bird flu, also known as Avian Flu, is a variety of influenza caused by air-borne virus in birds. It can spread to humans rarely and if it happens it can trigger person to person transmission, experts say. There are many varieties of viruses and H7N9 is considered dangerous among them.
An alert has been sounded in Alappuzha district in Kerala on Thursday after the state animal husbandry department confirmed bird flu (H5N1 influenza) in some samples sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal.
Many ducks and local birds perished in the district last week forcing authorities to rush samples to the Bhopal lab. Veterinary officials said culling of ducks will start in affected areas on Friday and farmers will be compensated according to government norms. “The government has instructed the district collector to take necessary measures,” said Animal Husbandry Minister J Cinchu Rani in the state capital.
Endowed with many backwaters and water bodies, farmers rear ducks in the district and bird flu regularly hits the area. Migratory birds from other countries are reported to be the main carriers of the virus. In Alappuzha and neighbouring Kottayam, duck rearing is an important business and there is high demand for eggs and meat of the bird, normally priced higher than poultry.
Bird flu, also known as Avian Flu, is a variety of influenza caused by air-borne virus in birds. It can spread to humans rarely and if it happens it can trigger person to person transmission, experts say. There are many varieties of viruses and H7N9 is considered dangerous among them, they say. According to the World Health Organization, there are many subtypes of the avian influenza virus and only some of them are dangerous for humans.
Last year also the district reported the viral outbreak but it was localised and contained. In 2016, at least 5 lakh chicken and ducks were culled in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts to control the outbreak. A highly contagious disease, experts say all rearing birds in the vicinity will have to be culled to contain the disease.
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