Viscera of dead bats sent for test after bird flu outbreak in Kerala

Kozhikode: Animal Husbandry officials on Tuesday collected the viscera of dead bats found at Karassery near here, after bird flu was detected in two poultry farms in Kozhikode. The viscera have been collected and the results are expected in a few days, district animal husbandry sources said.

Culling of domestic birds and hens, and disinfecting one- km aerial radius of Vengeri and West Kodiyathoor, where the bird flu was reported on Saturday, are underway as part of precautionary measure to contain the spread of the disease. About 4,000 chickens and other domesticated birds have already been culled and buried in two days, beginning Sunday last.

An estimated 12,000 birds have to be culled and trained squads are in the process to execute the task which is likely to be completed by this weekend. "There is no need to panic as of now. However, a team from the office of the Chief Disease Investigation Officer (CDIO) has taken the viscera for conducting tests to eliminate any possibilities of other diseases like the Nipah and H1N1," said Dr Neenakumar, Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO).


There is unlikely any chance for a Nipah as the bats are only carriers and they would not die due to Nipah virus. However, we would test and ascertain possibilities of Nipah and H1N1. We are taking all steps to ensure that things are under control, the CVO said. It was early this morning that the locals found some 10 bats dead in Karamoola near Karaserry. The incident has been communicated to the revenue and health authorities, said V K Vinod, the Karaserry grama panchayat president.

"There have also been instances of people within one to two-km radius of West Kodiyathoor transporting their pets to houses of their friends and relatives in our panchayat which is just two to three km from the epicentre west Kodiyathoor. But they were not chickens from the poultry farm but pet birds in houses and this was due to their love and affection for their pets, he added.