About 1.5 lakh chicken in the private farm are to be culled as a preventive measure against the risk of avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak.
In the case of infection of virus, scientists have advised farm owners not to sell or move any of the birds/eggs and material out of the farms.
Officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department have appealed to the pubic not to consume chicken infected with H5N1.
Minister for Animal Husbandry A. Manju told farmers to conduct inspections in farms and closely monitor the movement of wild and migratory birds who carry the highly pathogenic H5N1.
35,000 chicken die
As many as 35,000 chicken have died in 20 days at Melakera in Humnabad taluk, sending shockwaves among those in the poultry farming industry.
A total of 8,000 chicken had died on a single day at a poultry farm at Melakera on April 17. Ramesh Gupta, proprietor of Arunodaya Poultry Farm, said that initially he thought that the deaths might be due to the intense heat.
He got the chicken treated, but that did not help. The chicken are dying at the rate of 500-600 per day. Gupta said that he had brought the matter to the notice of the officials concerned.
Precautions
Do not eat raw or par-cooked chicken
Do not eat raw or semi-cooked eggs
Maintain hand hygiene
Change clothes immediately on coming into contact with poultry
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