The strain of avian influenza which caused the death of thousands of ducks and other birds in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala has been identified as H5N1, which can spread to humans though the infection it causes can be cured, the Directorate of Health Services has confirmed.
Vigil has been stepped up across the State, particularly in Alappuzha district where more than 15,000 ducks had died in a brief period, in the context of the confirmation of the spread of the virus strain which had been reported from Southeast Asian nations apart from Europe and African countries in the new millennium.
District authorities in Alappuzha asked the people to take precautions but assured that there was no need to panic as cure was available for the illness caused by H5N1, considered as a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. They said the virus would not be transmitted to humans just because of handling of affected birds.
Officials of the Kerala Animal Husbandry Department informed that the avian flu outbreak in Alappuzha and other districts had not yet been brought under control. They said transportation of birds like duck and chicken from Alappuzha into other districts would be prevented totally to check the possible spread of the virus.
At the same time, preventive activities picked up momentum on Thursday in Alappuzha district, where thousands of ducks had died in four panchayat areas since Saturday last, after the initial doddering witnessed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Dozens of officials and local people participated in the massive culling and burning of infected ducks.
Ten Rapid Response Teams, helped by local people, held preventive activities in five places with the cooperation of the concerned local self-government institutions. The Health Department said that 400 more personnel would be deployed for the activities in the coming days. Preventive measures had intensified after the arrival of sufficient stocks of medicines and kits.
Culling and burning of ducks was held in Nedumudi, Thalavadi, Bhagavathippadam and Ambalappuzha North panchayats in Alappuzha district on Thursday. The district collector issued instructions to deal stringently with those who were trying to prevent the mass culling of the birds in the context of farmers’ protest against the measure.
More district administrations like that in Thrissur took measures on Thursday to prevent the spread of the virus into their areas. The authorities in Kollam district banned sale of birds and poultry products on street sides but the ban was not applicable to birds and products sold by authorized farms.
However, preventive activities failed to intensify in Aymanam Panchayat of Kottayam district where over 4,000 ducks had died due to the alleged non-cooperation of officials. Workers who were supposed to help the officials were being forced to do all the works without the preventive kits or other precautionary measures.
“They are doing nothing but to kill the ducks. We were told earlier that there would be no lack of firewood or petrol to burn the birds but nothing is provided. We are not even given food. Only these gloves are there but its supply also is limited. How are we supposed to deal with these infected birds by being open to risksIJ” asked a worker.
Meanwhile, people in three panchayats in Kottayam district – Vechoor, Thalayazham and Chengalam – heaved a sigh of relief after samples of dead birds at Avian Diseases Diagnostic Centre in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta tested negative for the avian influenza virus. Hundreds of birds had died in these panchayats in the past few days.