TIRUPATI: Officials culled hundreds of birds and destroyed huge quantity of eggs in the bird flu-affected areas of Nellore on Saturday. Notices have been served to restaurants and roadside eateries not to serve chicken dishes. Special check posts have also been set up to curb the transport of poultry birds.
Though no new bird flu cases have been reported in the district, authorities are on high alert to ensure that the flu does not spread to neighbouring districts.
While vigil on poultry farms across the state has been intensified, poultry farmers who came in contact with the contaminated birds are also under surveillance for any symptoms as the bird flu variant H5N1, which is currently in circulation, is known to cause human infections too.
The vigil is particularly high in Krishna and Godavari districts which are considered the hub of poultry industry in the state. Officials told STOI that they could contain the spread of bird flu in Nellore as the disease broke out in backyard poultry farms and not in large commercial farms. More birds have been culled and people warned against venturing into poultry farms as a precautionary measure.
Avian influenza H5N1 cases were reported from Chatagutla in Podalakur and Gummaladibba in Kovur mandals on February 7. Nellore district collector M Harinarayana said the disease has been successfully contained from spreading to other areas.
“We have contained the outbreak in both villages. There have been no reports of outbreak anywhere else in the district. Sanitation measures have been completed. As a precautionary measure, medical teams are visiting all houses to rule out any human infections,” Harinarayana told STOI.
All meat and chicken shops within 1km radius of epicentre shut for 3 months
Poultry industry was established in 1978 in Nellore. Most of the farms are located in Buchireddypalem, Venkatachalam, Kovur, Patur, Kothur, Narukur, Podalakur and Allipuram mandals. Dr B Maheshwarudu, joint director of animal husbandry for Nellore, told STOI that though the outbreak of the bird flu is alarming, the damage done is quite limited as there is no commercial poultry operation in both affected villages. Officials earlier shut down all meat/chicken shops within a 10km radius from the villages for three days and for three months in all villages and towns within 1 km radius of the epicentre.
