In a major blow to poultry farmers ahead of the Christmas-New Year season, authorities have confirmed the presence of a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts of Kerala.
According to officials with the Department of Animal Husbandry, the presence of the virus was confirmed in tests conducted at the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal. The infection has been confirmed in one ward each of eight panchayats in Alappuzha and in four villages in Kottayam.
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In Alappuzha district, cases have been reported from the panchayats of Nedumudi, Cheruthana, Karuvatta, Karthikappally, Ambalappuzha South, Punnapra South, Thakazhi and Purakkad. Chickens were found to be infected in Nedumudi, while ducks were affected in the remaining areas.
In Kottayam, the disease has been detected in the villages of Kuruppanthara, Manjoor, Kallupurakkal and Velur. Quails and chickens were among the birds found to be infected.
