Collector MG Rajamanickam for urgent steps against bird flu
The supply of ducks and hens has been stopped
Kochi: With “highly contagious” bird flu being confirmed in neighbouring Alapuzzha district, Ernakulam district collector M G Rajamanickam on Tuesday ordered various departments to adopt urgent protective measures against spreading of the avian influenza which could be transmitted to humans too.
The supply of ducks and hens and the products made using bird meat from Alappuzha and Kottayam districts and Chellanam has been stopped with immediate effect.
He asked the police and Sales Tax departments to be alert in preventing supply of such materials in small quantities using vehicles or otherwise.
“Police personnel deployed at the district borders should be alert against such supplies,” a statement said. A control room has been opened to facilitate immediate alert upon any poultry deaths in the district. (Phone No – 9497315144, 9496800705)
A sample test done at a Bhopal-based laboratory confirmed on Monday that the recent mass deaths of ducks in Alappuzha were due to bird flu.
The state government too had issued an alert after the H5 Avian Influenza virus was confirmed in samples sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory.