Andhra deploys rapid response teams after bird flu cases detected

Andhra Pradesh Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu said Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to contain avian influenza cases in Annamayya district. Following confirmation, bird movement was restricted and culling operations were carried out. The minister assured that properly cooked poultry products are safe

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu on Monday said the state government was acting with utmost alertness and had deployed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to contain cases of avian influenza (bird flu) reported in the area.

Deaths of country chickens were reported from parts of Chittoor and Annamayya districts, prompting the Animal Husbandry Department to send samples to the Bhopal-based National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) for testing.

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Following confirmation of avian influenza cases in Annamayya district, the district administration restricted the movement of birds to and from the affected areas.
Around 40 birds died on Saturday and about 50 on Sunday, officials said.

“The government is acting with utmost alertness, and Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to contain avian influenza cases identified in Ammagaripalli and Puttavaripalli villages of Sodam mandal in Annamayya district,” the Animal Husbandry Minister said in a press release.

He said the disease was confirmed on February 8 based on reports from the NIHSAD laboratory, following which immediate control measures were initiated in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The minister said RRTs were deployed in the affected areas and culling operations were carried out under the supervision of district collectors, with coordination among the Animal Husbandry, Revenue, Police, Panchayat Raj and Health departments.

Seeking to allay public fears, Atchannaidu said there was no need for panic as the virus affects only birds, adding that consumption of properly cooked chicken and eggs is completely safe.

Following reports of sudden bird deaths in Karvetinagaram mandal of Chittoor district, veterinary teams conducted inspections and sent samples to NIHSAD for testing, he said, adding that farmers had been advised on biosecurity measures.

According to the minister, culling was completed in two farms on Sunday, while two additional samples from Sodam and Karvetinagaram mandals were sent to the Bhopal laboratory and officials were awaiting the results.

He said Director of Animal Husbandry Damodara Naidu visited the affected areas and advised staff and farmers on disease control protocols, urging poultry farmers to immediately report any abnormal bird deaths.