Two Outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Confirmed in Kerala
INDIA - Two outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian flu have been confirmed in domestic poultry in the Indian state of Kerala, affecting more than 240,000 birds. The virus is an H5 variant.
26 November 2014
2 minute read
By: The Indian veterinary authority sent an Immediate Notification dated 25 November to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
It describes two outbreaks of high-path avian in farmed ducks, both in the state of Kerala in the far south of the country.
The first started on 20 November at Purakkad & Thalavady in the Alappuzha region in a village flock of 228,807 birds, of which 15,000 died.
On the same day, 500 birds died of a flock on 13,000 village ducks at Parippu Aimananam in the region of Kottayam.
An epidemiological investigation is ongoing, and an intensive surveillance campaign has been launched in a 10-km radius of the affected villages.
The H5 subtype of the virus has been confirmed.
The last outbreak of avian flu in India was in February 2014.
