Poultry farmers in Namakkal ramp up biosecurity measures – The Times of India

Namakkal: Amid fears of bird flu spreading in two panchayats in Keralas Alappuzha district, poultry farmers in Namakkal district have strengthened biosecurity measures in their farms.Former chief of the Namakkal Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) P Venkatachalam said, We have intensified vaccination protocols for chicks and enforced strict biosecurity measures on all farms.All individuals working within the poultry farms must undergo disinfection procedures, he said, adding that this would apply to people entering the farms for business purposes.Venkatachalam said all vehicles will be disinfected before entering the farms. It is important to note that there are no duck farms in Tamil Nadu, he said.Veterinarian Dr P V Senthil said the avian flu is a delicate virus that does not spread in hot environments.The virus transmission to humans is rare, he said.He pointed out that workers currently employed in duck farms in Kerala have not exhibited any symptoms of bird flu.He reassured that consuming bird meat, including chicken, poses no risk as the virus is destroyed during cooking due to high temperatures. Therefore, individuals consuming poultry products need not worry about bird flu, he added.On Sunday, the Kerala government said a few ducks in the Alappuzha district had succumbed to bird flu.Officials confirmed that the birds were infected with the avian influenza virus (H5N1). Following this, the state government ordered the animal husbandry department to cull more than 21,000 ducks.

We also published the following articles recently

Bird flu in Kerala: Kovai on high alert

Coimbatore remains vigilant at check posts on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border after bird flu outbreak in Alappuzha. H5N1 detected in ducks with samples sent to Bhopal. Strict measures taken for vehicles from Kerala.

Massive fire burns down 2 poultry farms, 6k chickens killed

Two poultry farms in Binaura village, Lakhimpur Kheri, destroyed by fire, killing 6,000 chickens. Operator absent. Villagers failed to stop fire. Loss of Rs 3 lakh. Firefighters to investigate.

Bird flu outbreak: Invoke steps under health act, Kerala minister directs officials

Veena George instructs health actions under Kerala Public Health Act, 2023, due to bird flu in Alappuzha. Urgent meetings, surveillance, 'One Health' committee strengthening, symptom monitoring, precautions, and state-level reporting.

See the original post:

Poultry farmers in Namakkal ramp up biosecurity measures - The Times of India