Kerala confirms bird flu after crow deaths; no report of outbreak

Authorities in Kerala’s Edakkanam area in Iritty town have confirmed the presence of H5N1 avian influenza. The infection has been identified in crows, officials informed. But no cases have been reported in domestic birds, and no culling is required at this stage, said the district administration.

District Collector Arun K Vijayan has issued an alert in the region. He has also directed authorities to take precautionary measures against the disease, which is already prevalent in the area. As reported by news agency PTI, according to an official statement, the confirmation of the disease was made by the Deputy Director, Kannur Regional Diagnostic Laboratory.

What we know so far…

There is no report of an outbreak; only a crow has been infected with H5N1, as informed by authorities. And so a surveillance zone has not been declared. The district administration also explained how culling at this stage is not a necessity. If carcasses of birds are found, they will be buried following the safety protocol. Carcasses will be buried at adequate depth with calcium carbonate by the municipal public health department.

The statement by the authority mentioned that the Health Department has also been directed to closely monitor the situation. Any unexplained fever or respiratory infections among people in the area shall also be reported.