India has confirmed a bird flu outbreak at the Central Poultry Development Organisation(CPDO)at Hesaraghatta,Karnataka state,and has announced the culling of over 33,000 birds to control the spread of the flu.
This move comes after tests revealed that 206 chicken and 17 ducks,which died at CPDO premises,were infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza(H5N1)virus.
In response,the animal husbandry department has initiated the culling of 33,000 birds-about 19,235 chicken,13,673 ducks and 369 emus,present on the CPDO premises and the 1 kilometre radius.In addition,the department began the sanitization of turkey,duck,emu and chicken units.
On October 25,an action plan involving sanitization of sheds was launched at the CPDO after tests revealed that 3,481 turkeys had died of avian flu in CPDO.Following this,ten rapid response teams were appointed to carry out the surveillance work in the 10-kilometre zone near CPDO,which includes nearly 68 villages that house nearly 1,50 000 birds.
Bird flu,which is caused by the avian influenza virus,can lead to fever,cough,sore throat,muscle aches,conjunctivitis,and,in severe cases,breathing problems and pneumonia.
