Bird flu outbreak in RR poultry farm triggers panic across TG
Hyderabad: Thousands of chickens were culled in a poultry farm in Batasingaram village of Abdullapurmet mandal under Ranga Reddy district. The Ranga Reddy district, health and animal husbandry authorities have initiated emergency measures to safely cull and bury dead chickens to prevent the virus from spreading.
A bird flu case was discovered in a farm with a total capacity of 36,000 chickens, and thousands have already died. Officials reported that there were only 17,000 live chickens at the farm.
Following the detection of bird flu Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the authorities have issued a high alert. Bird flu outbreak was reported in February which spread quickly in the Telugu States, and is now thriving again.
The virus spread has become a concern among the poultry farm owners, especially in the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, as well as in the surrounding Nalgonda and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts.
In an effort to curb the spread of the virus, authorities have implemented urgent measures to safely cull and dispose of deceased hens. “A farm housing 36,000 chickens was identified with an avian influenza outbreak, resulting in the loss of thousands of birds. As of Thursday, only 17,521 live chickens remained on the premises. These will be culled and buried as a safety measure,” said the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Officer for Ranga Reddy District.
The officer said that, as a safety measure, all chicken farms located within a kilometer of Batasingaram will have their birds killed and disposed of. Additionally, to monitor any potential spread, samples are being collected from chicken farms situated within a 10-kilometre radius.
Meanwhile, a team headed by District Surveillance Officer Dr Ambika and Dr Prasannalakshmi, the Medical Officer at Abdullapurmet PHC, is actively searching for indications of avian flu in the local population. They are screening residents who show any signs of illness and collecting relevant information.