Bird flu confirmed in Odisha's Puri district; over 6000 chickens to be culled

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

Over 6,000 chickens would be culled after the National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, confirmed the presence of H5N1 avian influenza virus in samples taken from the infected poultry in Odisha's Puri district on Saturday, officials said. Avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Influenza A(H5N1) is the most common cause of bird flu in humans. (Representational image)
Dr. Somnath Das, the Block Veterinary Officer of Delang in Puri said, over 6,000 chickens would be culled and buried in Bada Ankula village, the epicentre of the infection. 'Since the last two weeks, there have been reports of thousands of chickens dying in poultry firms in the district. We had sent samples of other birds to the National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases which confirmed that the chickens are infected with H5N1 virus. To contain the spread of the virus, bird culling will be carried out within a 1-kilometre radius of the epicentre. Additionally, a 10-kilometre radius will be under surveillance from the culling centre,' he said.
As a precautionary measure, all poultry shops within 10 kilometres of the affected area will be closed. The authorities are taking these steps to prevent further spread of the virus and contain the outbreak.
Five Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been deployed to conduct surveys and raise awareness among poultry owners and sellers. The teams are expected to assist in enforcement and ensure all guidelines are followed in the high-risk zone.
In February this year, an outbreak of bird flu or avian influenza was reported from Pipili area of Puri prompting the authorities to cull more than 11,700 chickens after detecting the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Avian influenza, commonly called 'bird flu,' is a viral infection that spreads in birds but can sometimes spread to humans.
Avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Influenza A(H5N1) is the most common cause of bird flu in humans. However, recently, bird flu in humans has been found due to H7N7 and H7N9 strains of the influenza.