As of Sunday, there is no instance of H5N1 infection among the people living in the avian flu-infected areas of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, according to a review of the situation done by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here.
Briefing the media after the review meeting, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said health workers had visited more than 81,000 houses in the avian flu-infected areas.
They had not come across any instance of symptoms of H5N1 infection. Six samples were sent for laboratory analysis, of which results were forthcoming for three and all three were negative.
He said, all the same, special arrangements had been put in place at the district general hospitals in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta to deal with any case of H5N1 infection and also at the medical college hospitals in Alappuzha and Kottayam.
He said adequate supply of medicines too had been ensured in these hospitals in the three districts.
Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry K.P. Mohanan said more than 1.82 lakh ducks had been killed in the areas infected by avian flu. The culling operation would be completed by Monday.
He said an estimated 2.5 lakh ducks would have to be culled totally. There were no signs as yet of the disease having spread to new areas.
The largest number of ducks that were culled or being culled was in Alappuzha district.
Mr. Sivakumar said a team of experts from the Centre was visiting the disease-infected areas.
Members of the team would discuss with State government officials on Monday ways to evolve an action plan to prevent the transmission of the disease to humans through water.
Culling extended Meanwhile, the confirmation of avian influenza at Chennithala Thripperumthura grama panchayat has forced the Alappuzha district administration to extend the first phase of the ongoing culling operations by a day.
Thirty rapid task force teams have been deployed for containment measures in the region.
