Avian flu contained in core sites

The operation to contain bird flu outbreak is over at Aimanam in Kottayam district and is nearing completion at Purakkad, Thalavady and Chennithala in Alappuzha district in Kerala, according to the Union Agriculture Ministry.
The outbreak of Avian Influenza in Purakkad and Thalavady and Aimanam in Kottayam district was notified on November 25 on receipt of laboratory results from the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (formerly HSADL) Bhopal.
According to the state government, nearly 2.60 lakh ducks had been culled since November 26 after the outbreak of H5NI virus in three affected districts of Kerala.
Kerala Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister K P Mohanan had earlier this week informed the state assembly that Rs 84.20 lakh had been distributed to farmers who suffered losses due to the culling of birds.

The culling of birds in the affected districts was done as per the protocol laid down by World Health Organisation.
The outbreak of the infection, which has claimed over thousands of ducks in water-logged Kuttanad in Alappuzha and adjoining areas, has caused huge losses to poultry rearers, most of them medium and marginal farmers.
According to a government statement issued in New Delhi today, the operation was over at Aimanam in Kottayam district and was almost over at Purakkad, Thalavady and Chennithala.
The operation at Vilakkumaram had been started and surveillance on the disease was going on through out the state.