New Delhi (NVI): The four states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh have reported bird flu cases with hundreds of birds found dead due to the avian influenza virus.
The bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by H5N1 influenza which can spread to human beings and turn fatal.
The Kerala government today issued a high alert after bird flu cases were reported in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts and declared bird flu as a state-specific disaster.
In addition, to contain the further avian influenza outbreak, the state officials have ordered the culling of ducks, hens, etc in a one-kilometer radius of the affected areas.
Around 1,700 ducks have died in a duck farm in Neendoor panchayat in the Kottayam district and 40,000 domestic birds will be culled to check the spread of the virus, as per reports.
The situation is alarming in Himachal Pradesh, where over 2,400 migratory waterbirds have been found dead so far.
Notably, almost half of the dead were the endangered bar-headed goose visiting the Pong dam wetlands. The state authorities have confirmed that that avian influenza (H5N1) was the cause.
Besides the bar-headed goose, other species that were found dead are the Shoveler, the River Tern, the Pochard, and the Common Teal.
In Rajasthan, the avian influenza was confirmed in the Jhalawar town where 50 crows were found dead at a temple. By January 4, over 300 more birds were found dead across the state.
Apart from this, the Madhya Pradesh government has also announced a bird flu alert after the dreaded virus was found in dead crows in Indore. Nearly 400 crows have died due to viral infection in 7-8 districts of the State.
-RJV/ARK
