JOIN USThe State government has intensified the testing of poultry birds at its various animal testing laboratories, following the outbreak of the bird flu epidemic in Kerala, a confirmed deadly and contagious strain of the H5N1 virus.
Harsh Gupta, secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, said that although Karnataka did not receive any poultry products from Kerala, there was a need to keep vigil, especially at checkposts and railway stations, from where bird flu can spread.
However, he said that the supply of poultry products to Kerala has not been suspended.The Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) at Hesaraghatta too has intensified security measures, restraining movements inside its campus.
An official said that all entry and exit points have been guarded to avoid contamination. The CPDO had lost thousands of birds to bird flu in October 2012.