There is no indication that the bird flu reported from Vengeri and Kodiyathur in Kozhikode district has affected human beings so far, M.K. Shoukathali, joint director, National Centre for Disease Control, has said.
He was talking to media after inspecting the infected areas on Wednesday. “Human infection is not that easy,” Mr. Shoukathali said. The infection has not spread to other areas as well and there has not been any death of birds in any of these places subsequently. Preventive measures are going on well within one-km radius of the infected areas and a 10-km radius area has been put under surveillance.
Asked about the recent death of bats at Karassery, Mr. Shoukathali said it might have happened owing to electrocution. However, samples have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, and the results are awaited.
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On Wednesday, police officers accompanied members of a rapid response team that was culling pet birds in infected areas at Vengeri. This follows the reluctance of certain local residents to hand over their birds. All such birds were collected to be culled and destroyed at designated places later.
Meanwhile, poultry farmers have claimed that a section of officials are insisting on culling pet birds beyond the one-km radius as stipulated by the Kozhikode district administration. There are restrictions on the movement of chicken to other areas. However, some officials are asking poultry farmers to completely remove chicken that are only 15 days old. Since no fresh cases are reported, the farmers could be allowed to transport chicken, they added.
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Meanwhile, the Cabinet resolved to compensate the farmers whose poultry had to be culled. The compensation has been fixed at ₹200 for birds above two years and ₹100 for younger birds.