Kerala: After outbreak in Kozhikode, bird flu affects Malappuram

Malappuram, Mar 12: In less than a week after bird flu was detected in two poultry farms in Vengeri and west Kodiyathoor in Kozhikode district, the disease has been confirmed in Malappuram, which is 47 km away.

Collector Jaffer Malik said the disease has been confirmed at Palathingal in Parappangadi in the district and culling activities in one-km radius of the affected area would begin from Saturday, he told reporters.

An urgent meeting of the officials of the district Animal Husbandry, Health and civic bodies was held here on Thursday. Suspecting the outbreak in the farm after a few hens were found dead, the Animal Husbandry officials had on Sunday last collected viscera samples from the farm and sent them for investigation at the National Institute for High Security Animal Disease, Bhopal, and the test turned positive.

Meanwhile, the culling and disinfecting of one-km radius of the two farms where the outbreak of bird flu was detected in Kozhikode last Saturday entered its second phase All the birds and pets within one-km of the epicentre that were hidden or transported to safer places would also be culled by the special task force.

The death of few bats in Karaserry near west Kodiyathoor is due to some bacterial disease and has nothing to do with either bird flu or Nipah, official sources said.