There are no reports of bird flu in any part of Ballari and Koppal districts, according to officials of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department.
The officials have made it clear that there was no need for people to panic, as there were no reports of mass death of birds from any parts of these two districts. Moreover, in addition to regular check ups, precautionary measures were being taken to prevent the spread of the disease, following reports of bird flu from Molakera in Bidar district.
In Ballari, there are around 25.17 lakh layer birds, 6.30 lakh broilers and around 1.98 lakh backyard chicken. In Koppal district, there are 42.15 lakh layers.
Mari Basavanagouda, Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry Department in Ballari, said that serum and droppings of hens were regularly tested and no positive case had been reported so far. That apart, awareness campaigns were being held in both districts. He also said that 12 Rapid Response Teams and 12 culling teams had been formed to deal with emergencies.
In Koppal, Jayaram, Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry, along with Srikant Basur, District Health Officer, visited a couple of poultry farms to ascertain the conditions of the layers and broilers, besides checking on the precautionary measures in place.
