Bird flu has been detected in two districts of Kerala; ducks and chickens will be culled on a large scale

ALAPPUZHA: A large-scale culling of birds will be carried out in the areas of the state where bird flu has been confirmed. Approximately twenty thousand birds will be culled in Alappuzha. Currently, bird flu has been confirmed in Alappuzha and Kottayam. The district administration also stated that precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the infection from spreading to other areas. Kerala-KSFDC: No more films in government-owned theaters from January; Kerala Film Chamber takes a strong stance.
In Alappuzha, chickens are infected with the disease in Nedumudi, and ducks are infected in Cheruthana, Karuvatta, Karthikappally, Ambalappuzha South, Punnapra South, Thakazhy, and Purakkad. In Kottayam, quails are infected in Kuruppanthara and Manjoor, and chickens in Kallupurakkal and Vellore. It is believed that the infection spread due to the arrival of migratory birds.
Sample tests conducted at the lab in Bhopal confirmed Avian Influenza (H5N1). 19,811 birds will be culled in Alappuzha alone. Birds within a one-kilometer radius of the confirmed areas will be culled. This will include chickens, ducks, and quails.
Those who raised chickens and ducks for the Christmas market have suffered heavy losses. Alappuzha had been free of bird flu for about a year. In 2024, 38 cases of bird flu were reported in the state, in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam. Of these, 30 were in Alappuzha. A ban on rearing and selling birds was imposed from September 2024 to December 31. The ban was extended but lifted in March 2025. The central government had also issued a notification declaring the state bird flu-free after it was confirmed that the virus causing bird flu was no longer present.