Bird Flu in Kerala | No panic situation in Coimbatore district: Animal Husbandry Department

The Animal Husbandry Department has made it clear that there is no panic in Coimbatore in the wake of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Kerala’s Alappuzha district.

Coimbatore District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati said no case of H5N1 bird flu has been reported in the district.

“The Animal Husbandry department checks vehicles at check posts and takes necessary action. We will follow any further advice,” he said.

Following reports of bird flu in ducks at two places in Alappuzha, the department has started screening vehicles returning to Tamil Nadu after supplying chicken, poultry products and feed in Kerala, through 12 check posts in Coimbatore district.

“Since the H5N1 bird flu is of zoonotic importance, all these vehicles are preventively fumigated at the checkpoints. Even the poultry farmers are well aware of the situation and are taking preventive measures themselves. There is no panic situation in Coimbatore,” said R. Perumalsamy, joint director of the department.

According to him, there are 1,252 poultry farms in Coimbatore district. The ministry has instructed poultry farmers to immediately report any unusual mass deaths of chickens.

“Paralysis of the wings, bluish tinge in the combs of chickens, hemorrhagic spots on the pincers and runny eyes and nostrils are among the signs of the infection caused by H5N1 bird flu. Officials inspect farms and issue instructions to owners,” Mr Perumalsamy said.

He said the department conducts tests on 200 pooled samples of chicken feces from farms, backyard poultry and chicken houses every year. A total of 432 serum samples from chickens were tested last year and none of them tested positive for serious diseases, he added.