Chikkaballapur (Karnataka)
The district administration has taken tough steps to prevent the outbreak of bird flu in Chikkallapur district near Bengaluru. The State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department on Friday ordered 350 chickens to be killed in a poultry farm in Vardahali village of Chikkabalpur.
The district administration is on high alert as H5N1 virus has been found in chickens in Varadhali. Deputy Commissioner PN The district administration, led by Ravindra, held an emergency meeting and was banned from going out of the village. Barricades have been installed on all the roads of the village and vehicles are being strictly monitored so that the chickens cannot be taken out.
Initial investigation found that 28 chickens were found dead at the house of Dyamappa, a resident of Vardahali. Chickens are also dying in other village homes. The administration sent three dead chicken samples of a poultry farm to the Central Lab in Bengaluru for examination. Avian Influenza was confirmed in the sample by laboratory tests. After this, an order was issued to kill all the chickens of the poultry farm.
Authorities conducted a survey from house to house in the village and sprayed sodium hypochlorite throughout the area. The health department is also monitoring the health of the villagers. Meanwhile, it has been reported that about 10,000 chickens were sent to Bangalore from Poultry Farm in Varadahali two days ago, where they could have been sold in meat shops and hotels. Officials are investigating the matter and are alerting the vendors not to sell the chickens brought from Varadahali.
The Karnataka government has increased the border surveillance after the Avian Influenza spread in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Karnataka had earlier claimed that there is no case of bird flu in the state and they are taking full vigilance. The state produces about four crore broiler chicken every month and there are 73 breeders and 20,000 poultry farmers. In Belagavi district adjacent to the border, the administration has started investigating chicken samples and has installed checkposts on the Maharashtra border. Poultry farmers are suffering financial loss after reports of bird flu because people are avoiding eating chicken and eggs.