Bird flu: Kerala poultry vehicles banned in Dakshina Kannada district

KEY STORY

• After confirmed cases of bird flu were reported in Kottayam and Alappuzha in Kerala, the Dakshina Kannada district administration on Thursday banned the entry of vehicles carrying poultry and related products into the district.

• The order also stated that all vehicles carrying poultry products from Karnataka to Kerala and Kerala vehicles coming to the state for poultry products will be sprayed with disinfectants at the inter-state borders. Vehicles that are not clean will be sent back.

• The departments of Health and Animal Husbandry are keeping a close watch on bird sanctuaries, water storage units and poultry farms in Dakshina Kannada district. Owners of poultry farms have been asked to maintain cleanliness and avoid unnecessary movement of people near the farms.

• They have been asked to immediately inform the veterinary department in case they see unnatural deaths of poultry and symptoms of bird flu. Measures have also been taken to spray disinfectants on vehicles that visit poultry farms and railway brake vans that transport poultry products.

  Crows found dead, sent for testing

• Six crows were found dead in Manjanadi near Deralakatte in Mangaluru city on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday morning, viscera samples of the crows were sent for testing to a laboratory in Bengaluru.

• Deputy Commissioner K V Rajendra said they were not sure as to whether the crows died due to poisoning or due to some other reason. He said the samples were sent for testing as they did not want to take any chances in view the bird flu. He added that the results were expected on Friday.