Mysuru gears up for culling due to bird flu

Officials at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AHVS) are all geared up to cull around 11,000 chicken in the surroundings of Metagalli and Kumbarakoppal areas, in the city, in the wake of the confirmed bird flu case on March 16, 2020.

It has to be recalled that the bird flu case in a house in Kumbarakoppal was confirmed, sending the officials into a tizzy even as they were tackling the COVID-19 scare in the district. Two birds, a domestic bird and a free ranging bird, died at Kumbarakoppal on March 12. The samples of the dead birds were sent to Bhopal-based National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases, where tests for H5N1 virus turned out positive.

The authorities of Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services have taken all measures to prevent the spread of bird flu. One kilometre radius of the affected area has been declared infected and 10 km radius will be under surveillance. The birds in the infected area within one kilometre radius of the house, where the bird died, will be culled.

Mercy killing

Sources said, 7,000 birds in houses in the localities, including chicken, and 4,000 chicken in a poultry farm, have been identified in the infected area and two pits have been dug up for burrying the culled birds. The birds will be sedated and euthanised.

No sales of chicken

The sales of poultry has been banned for a few days in the area under surveillance. All chicken stalls will remain closed until the process of culling, administering of disinfectants and sanitisation of the infected area is completed. It has to be noted that already many people have stopped consuming chicken, suspecting bird flu, affecting the poultry industry in the region.

However, Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Sankar said, “People need not panic, as the infection is rarely spread among humans. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, properly cooked poultry meat can be consumed”.

Deputy Director for AHVS Dr Ajith Kumar said, suitable compensation will be given to the owners of the birds, which will be culled.

Sushanth Rai, president of Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association, said that even though the culling of the birds in the infected area is unfortunate, as it affects the farmers and traders, it is necessary to save the remaining birds in the region.