Panic griped Kureepuzha, near Kollam city, on Wednesday morning following reports about the sudden death of a large number of turkeys at the Animal Husbandry Department’s (AHD) turkey farm there.
Confirming the episode, farm authorities said about 350 birds had died. Assistant Director B. Nisha, who is in charge of the farm, told The Hindu that tests on bird samples at the department’s laboratory at the Chief Disease Investigation Office, Palode, confirmed avian influenza type A virus, which is not a threat to humans.
The deaths were reported from a shed on Sunday evening and the deaths on the subsequent days were also in the same shed, she said adding that the rest of the birds in the affected shed were culled on Wednesday.
“The birds at the other sheds have not contracted the virus so far and all bio-security measures are in place to keep those birds safe,” Dr. Nisha said.
The virus could have been spread by migratory birds. The AHD’s Kureepuzha farm, the only turkey farm in south Asia, was on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake, which is frequented by migratory birds. The farm had the capacity to rear 9,000 turkeys and after Wednesday’s culling it had 8,103 birds, Dr. Nisha said.
Kureepuzha was in the grip of panic when a foul smell engulfed the area after the dead birds were set on fire inside the farm, which led to reports of avian influenza incidence in the farm.
