Bird flu scare: Check-posts set up to stop poultry vehicles from Andhra Pradesh

In the past 15 days, thousands of chickens in poultry farms in Sathupalli, Penuballi, Bhadrachalam and Kallur mandals and areas on Telangana-Andhra Pradesh borders died after getting infected by Ranikhet disease

Khammam: In the wake of the bird flu scare in the State, veterinary, police and revenue officials have set up check-posts on the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh borders to stop supply of chicken from Andhra Pradesh to Khammam and Kothagudem districts.

It might be recalled in the past 15 days, thousands of chickens in poultry farms in Sathupalli, Penuballi, Bhadrachalam and Kallur mandals and areas like VM Banjar on Telangana-Andhra Pradesh borders died after getting infected by Ranikhet disease (RD) (Kokkera vyadhi) hitting the farm owners badly.

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With the efforts launched by the veterinary and animal husbandry department, the situation improved and the disease spread was curtailed with bio-security measures. When the farm owners in the district were hoping to return to normalcy, the news of outbreak of Avian Influenza (bird flu) spreading in Andhra Pradesh severely damaged their business. Officials were advising the public to stay away from consuming chicken.

Speaking to Telangana Today, district veterinary and animal husbandry officer, Dr KV Narayana informed that so far no traces of bird flu was found in chickens in poultry farms in the district. The incidence of Kokkera vyadhi has also come down. Check posts have been set up on the highways that connect to Andhra Pradesh at Sathupalli and on a highway that leads to Tiruvur in Andhra Pradesh. Vigilance teams have also been monitoring the situation and turning back vehicles carrying birds from Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Kothagudem veterinary and animal husbandry officer M Venkateshwarlu informed that check posts have been set up at Aswaraopet and Dammapeta on highways leading to Andhra Pradesh. Strict measures were being taken to prevent chickens from Andhra Pradesh poultry from coming into the district, he said.

Meanwhile, the sales have come down drastically in chicken shops. A chicken shop owner in Kothagudem Mohammed Rashid said that there has been a drop of about 90 per cent in the sales as the news of bird flu was spread among the public. Another chicken shop owner, Prasad said that the traders in Kothagudem purchase chicken from poultry farms in Warangal, Siddipet and other places. As the disease has not affected the farms in those districts there was no problem in consuming chicken. Most of the chicken shop owners in Khammam get the supply from Andhra Pradesh, he said.

According to officials, check posts have been set up on highways in Jogulamba Gadwal district, erstwhile Nalgonda district and other border towns to prevent poultry vehicles coming from Andhra Pradesh into Telangana.