Bird flu Outbreak in Nellore Spreads to Neighbouring Districts

The contagion first surfaced in Nellore’s Podalakuru area a week ago, negatively impacting farmers and ancillary businesses that rely on the sector.

Chittoor district is well-known for its thriving poultry industry. As per statistics from the district animal husbandry department, there exist 9.35 lakh farm chickens and 6.5 lakh layer chickens. Approximately 37,089 metric tonnes of chicken meat and 10.723 lakh eggs are produced there annually.

Unofficial reports estimate the annual value of Chittoor’s poultry business to be over `800 crore.

However, the district is now faced with the bird flu outbreak, which has forced an abrupt stoppage in operations and accrual of daily losses equal to the entire turnover. Hatcheries that earlier exported chickens and eggs daily to Bengaluru, Puducherry and Chennai now find their shipments blocked at state borders due to the bird flu scare.

“Fearing spread of the virus, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have banned poultry products not only from Nellore but also from Chittoor and Tirupati districts, compounding the economic woes. The poultry market freeze has dealt a huge blow to the local industry reliant on the daily trade”, Raja Reddy, a trader from Chittoor said.

Meanwhile, the Chittoor animal husbandry department has sounded caution to poultry farmers after the Nellore outbreak. Some 31 rapid response teams equipped with protective gear and disinfectants have been deployed. Additionally, chicken exports from Nellore district have been prohibited to contain the outbreak.

“We have alerted poultry and layer chicken farmers about precautionary measures to prevent the migratory bird-borne virus spread. No treatment or vaccine for bird flu exists currently," said district animal husbandry joint director M. Prabhakar, emphasising the importance of prevention.

Awareness drives by veterinary staff on the disease’s risks and precautions are under way.

According to Prabhakar, no bird flu case was reported from Chittoor district on Thursday. However, farmers have been instructed to immediately cull any bird that shows flu symptoms, given the rapid transmissibility. Recommended precautions include farm disinfection, restricting staff movement, banning feed imports and frequently monitoring bird health and procurement.