Andhra: First bird flu case detected in East Godavari; red zone declared, door-to-door survey starts

East Godavari: District Collector has imposed a lockdown on the movements of vehicles associated with the poultry sector in the three hotspots of Peravali, Nallajarla, and Seethanagaram with effect from February 10.

This follows the first bird flu case confirmed at a poultry farm in Kanuru Agraharam of Peravali Mandal in East Godavari district.

Nearly four lakh poultry layers have died since January 13, with suspected symptoms of the H5N1 virus (bird flu) across the Godavari region. Avian influenza is a viral infection caused by influenza type A viruses that primarily affects birds, especially poultry.

Mass Culling:

Beginning Monday, officials went for mass culling of the poultry layers. Over 75 percent of birds and eggs from poultries in the area have been culled and buried.

An area within a radius of 1 km around the hotspot has been declared as a red zone, while an area spread over a 10 km radius has been designated as a surveillance zone, where a door-to-door health survey commenced to determine if the bird flu virus has been transmitted from poultry layers to humans.

East Godavari District Collector P Prasanthi convened an emergency meeting on Monday with officials from the Animal Husbandry, Forest, Police, Revenue, and other departments to discuss a comprehensive plan to manage the virus, which has been affecting poultry birds in the Godavari belt for the past few days. A one-kilometer radius around Kanuru village has been declared a red zone.

All roads leading to Kanuru village, located 35 km from Rajamahendravaram, 15 km from Nidadavolu, and Tanuku town, have been closed.

Reduce consumption of Chicken:

Further, the officials are conducting screening tests on people working in poultry farms and chicken shops.

Chicken shops in the hot spots of Peravali, Nallajarla, and Seethanagaram will be closed for some days. A control room has been set up. The authorities have also released the helpline number, 9542908025.

Rajamahendravaram, Nidadavolu, and Kovvur municipal authorities have alerted the public to reduce chicken consumption for the next few days. Poultry owners are warned not to dispose of birds in canals or as roadside waste. Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been formed to handle the crisis.

The police department has imposed Section 144 in the three hotspots and imposed a ban on the sale and consumption of chicken for some days.

Same during 2024:

A similar bird flu outbreak was reported in poultry in Nellore district in February 2024. Laboratory tests by the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal confirmed that it was caused by the type A strain of the H5N1 variant of the avian influenza virus. The poultry likely caught the virus from migratory birds in Pulicat Lake in the nearby Tirupati district.