Bird flu: Tight vigil at Kerala border

COIMBATORE/MADURAI: The state animal husbandry department has increased vigil at checkposts at the Tamil Nadu–Kerala interstate borders and poultry farms in Namakkal following the outbreak of bird flu in Kerala.
Vehicles entering Tamil Nadu from Kerala were closely monitored from Tuesday morning in border checkposts in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Theni districts.While vehicles carrying poultry were prohibited entry, other vehicles from Kerala were allowed only after fumigation.
"We are checking the vehicles entering into Coimbatore from Kerala at 12 locations including Walayar, Velanthavalam, Meenakshipuram and Gopalpuram. Personnel from police department, revenue department, animal husbandry department and forest department have been deployed in each checkpost," joint director (JD) of animal husbandry department in Coimbatore Dr Perumalsamy said. While chicken is sent in large quantities from TN to Kerala, the neighbouring state sends ducks here.
"We have intensified screening at all districts bordering Kerala," health secretary J Radhakrishnan said here on Tuesday. "Multiple departments are working together to prevent human transmission of the virus," he told reporters in Chennai.
Bird flu has been confirmed in Allepey and Kottayam districts of Kerala and the government authorities of the neighbouring state have declared it as a state-specific disaster and issued a high alert. Similar outbreaks have been reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, worrying the poultry farmers in Namakkal, the egg and chicken production hub.
"We are spraying disinfectants on all vehicles coming from other states," P V Senthil, an egg exporter in Namakkal, said. Similarly, vehicles going out from the farms also were fumigated. Precautions have also been put in place for workers in poultry farms. "The workers should soak their foot in the disinfectant liquid while entering the farm and have to use hand gloves, face masks and aprons during their working hours," Senthil said.
In Kanyakumari, another key entry point from Kerala, teams comprising a veterinarian, a livestock inspector, attender and two assistants to spray chlorine dioxide disinfectants were stationed at the checkposts. Animal Husbandry officials said that they would continue the exercise for 90 days and shall extend it further if needed.
The officials are coordinating with the forest department to check if migratory birds visiting places such as Kariyamanikapuram near Suchindram in Kanyakumari are infected. At the Puliyarai checkpost in Tenkasi district, vehicles returning after unloading chicken in Kerala were disinfected. "We have been instructed not to take pending stock of unsold birds from Kerala or ducks brought from Kerala for sale in or through Tamil Nadu," veterinarian A Jayapalraj said.
In Theni district, vehicles carrying vegetables are being properly disinfected when they return empty after unloading in Kerala. Camps have been set up at Cumbummettu and Bodimettu checkposts to monitor vehicles entering Tamil Nadu. Staff members at the AHD dispensaries and clinics have been asked to stay alert if farmers reported mass illness or deaths of birds in the bordering district.
Explaining that the flu – H5N8 (Avian influenza) - is commonly found in migratory birds, an animal husbandry official said that they are monitoring water bodies where migratory birds flock. "We are also closely watching the backyard poultry farms in villages," he added.
The officials have been collecting 200 samples – blood or droppings in case of domestic birds and droppings in case of migratory birds - every month and send it to a testing laboratory in Erode to ensure that birds are not affected by any virus.