Andhra Pradesh animal husbandry minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu on Monday indicated that the Andhra government was on high alert after occurrences of avian influenza in some parts of Annamayya district were reported. On their part, he said Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) were deployed and all was being done to prevent the spread of the virus.
The officials report deaths of country chicken in the areas of Chittoor and Annamayya districts and the Animal Husbandry Department collected the samples and forwarded them to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal to undergo laboratory tests. Following the confirmation of the avian influenza in the Annamayya district, the district administration banned the movement of birds in and out of the affected region.
Authorities estimated some 40 birds died on Saturday, and nearly 50 on Sunday. The minister showed in a press statement that the disease was established to be real on February 8, according to the test reports of the NIHSAD after which control measures were immediately taken in accordance with the standard operating procedures.
RRTs were also stationed in the villages of Sodam mandal in Ammagaripalli and Puttavaripalli in Annamayya district. Culling was done under the guidance of the district collectors and was coordinated with the Animal Husbandry, Revenue, and Police and Panchayat Raj, and Health departments.
To allay the concerns of people, Atchannaidu encouraged people to avoid panicking by explaining that the avian influenza only affects birds. He guaranteed that there would be nothing to worry about in the consumption of duly cooked chicken and eggs.
In the Karvetinagaram mandal of Chittoor district, the veterinary teams entered the field on reports of sudden bird death and samples were sent to NIHSAD to be tested. Bio security measures have been strongly advised as farmers in the region have been encouraged to adhere strictly to them. The minister further indicated that though herding has been done in two farms, the outcome of other samples of Sodam and Karvetinagaram mandals is awaited.
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