Preliminary tests conducted on the birds found dead at a poultry at Kallipalayam near SS Kulam Union in the district on Wednesday have ruled out bird flu. Veterinarians, who conducted the initial examinations and post-mortem of the birds, said that the signs were consistent with Ranikhet disease.
V. Muthugopalakrishnan, Regional Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Department, told The Hindu here on Thursday that samples have also been sent to the Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Erode for further confirmation. While this was not necessary, he said that this step was being taken as a precaution following the bird flu outbreak in Kerala.
A joint team Animal Husbandry, Health and Food Safety Departments undertook an inspection of the poultry on Wednesday. While the health officials examined the poultry staff and the neighbours for infection, the Animal Husbandry Department personnel examined the surviving birds and carcasses. Two other poultry farms in the village were also inspected. However, they were empty. The farmers were briefed on bio-security measures and told to alert the Animal Husbandry Department before releasing birds.
Several officials who were part of the initial investigation cast doubts on the poultry farmer’s claims of 60 deaths in the past few days. The farmer was able to show the carcasses of just four birds while claiming to have burnt the rest.
The poultry also did not have the sufficient infrastructure to rear such a large number of birds. Further, officials said that the farmer was rearing both geese and hens, which was not advisable.
The Health Department conducted a medical camp at Kallipalayam as a precaution. None of the birds was found to show symptoms of bird flu. The department also disinfected the poultry farm and the neighbouring houses. All the overhead tanks in the locality were also chlorinated.
Dr. Muthugopalakrishnan also cautioned the public to not get carried away by rumours. Dispelling reports of mass deaths of birds, he said that the department had confirmed only the death of four poultry birds at Kallipalayam and a goat calf in the same locality due to unrelated reasons.
The ban on the entry of birds from Kerala, imposed in the wake of the bird flu outbreak, continued to be in place.
District Collector Archana Patnaik chaired a coordination meeting of various departments on Wednesday. Officials from Commercial Taxes, Police, Animal Husbandry, Health, Forests, Transport, Urban and Local Bodies besides the Southern Railway took part.
Ms. Patnaik directed the local bodies near the border check posts to depute five health mazdoors to assist the Animal Husbandry Department in spraying disinfectants on vehicles coming from Kerala.
Further, she also requested the Railways not to transport goods from Kerala.
