Hyderabad: Bird flu has officially spread to Telangana, with the first confirmed case reported in Nelapatla village in Choutuppal mandal of Bhuvanagiri Yadadri district. After bird flu outbreaks in neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, Telangana officials have been on high alert.
Officials told TOI that thousands of poultry have also died in Wanaparthy district. “A week ago, we received information that poultry had died at a farm in Nelapatla,” said Dr Shakeel Ahmed, assistant director (epidemiology) of the veterinary and animal husbandry department. “Our officials inspected the site and sent samples to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for testing. On Feb 21, we received the reports confirming that the poultry died due to bird flu.”
As a precautionary measure, poultry farmers within a 10-km radius of the village have been instructed to cull any poultry showing signs of illness. In Cherukupally village of Kethepally mandal, poultry farm owners took immediate action and culled hundreds of birds after noticing symptoms of the disease. The culled poultry were then buried to prevent further spread.
In addition to the outbreak in Yadadri, Wanaparthy district has also seen significant poultry deaths. Approximately 4,500 poultry have died in Konnur village in Madanapur mandal over the past few days.
According to K Venkateshwar Reddy, deputy director of the veterinary and animal husbandry department in Wanaparthy, samples have been collected and sent to NIHSAD in Bhopal for testing. “We expect to receive the test results within a week,” he said, emphasising that only upon receiving the results will they be able to confirm if the deaths were caused by bird flu.
As a precaution, poultry farmers within a 1 kilometer radius of the affected area have been asked to cull their poultry. “We have also ordered that no chicken be sold in the district, and this will be strictly enforced,” Reddy added. Furthermore, authorities have mandated that all dead poultry be buried rather than discarded in the open.
Although no bird flu cases have been reported in Adilabad district, chicken shops have closed down as a precaution. They will remain closed until at least the end of the month. To further protect the region, district authorities have prohibited the transportation of poultry from neighbouring Maharashtra, where bird flu cases have been reported.
Checkposts have been set up in Adilabad, Asifabad, and Kamareddy districts to monitor and prevent poultry from being brought in from affected states.