A fresh batch of chicks would be reared for the first time at the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) at Hessarghatta here in over three months.
About 2,500 chicks would be brought this week to the CPDO, where the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus broke out causing Avian influenza, which led to culling of 33,000 birds, including poultry, emu and turkey, during October 2012.
‘Testing period’
A senior official at the CPDO told The Hindu that the campus did not house any birds for three months after sanitisation was completed. The CPDO would now have testing period under which 50 chicks will be placed in around 50 sheds.
“We will collect the blood samples of the chicks on the first day, 12 day and 21 day. After that we will get clearances and begin re-population,” he added.
The birds were culled in October 2012 after the Union overnment instructed the officials to follow the Government of India Action Plan 2012 for control, containment and eradication of avian influenza. The influenza, which was first detected in turkey, later spread to other birds.
Samples for Bhopal
Sources said that the samples would be collected by the officials from the Southern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Hebbal which will then be sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory at Bhopal for further investigation.
“A lifeless atmosphere prevailed on the campus in the last three months. We will ensure that we start afresh. We have taken precautions and will follow all the procedural formalities to get permission for re-population,” the sources added.
Losses
Though 33,000 birds were culled soon after the avian flu outbreak was notified on October 25 2012 by the Union government, the sources claimed that the organisation was yet to calculate the losses suffered. The outbreak not only caused severe losses to the CPDO, it also led to banning of poultry movement to Kerala from Karnataka and the poultry industry suffered heavy losses.
Meanwhile, Arvind Jannu, Principal Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, told The Hindu, “Now the CPDO authorities are free to bring in new chicks. They will follow protocols and ensure that it is a smooth affair.”
