Central team assesses bird-flu spread in Kerala

 It is also evaluating the risk to public health posed by the outbreak of H5N8.

Bird flu cases in India have spread to more than five states while an alert has been issued in eight states. As the bird flu cases and casualties continue to rise, a central team visited Kerala to take stock of the situation.

Bird flu or Avian influenza in India has spread to more than five states while Delhi's Husbandry department has been put on a high alert due to the increasing number of bird flu cases in the neighbouring states. So far, the bird flu cases have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. Since the first casualties of bird flu in India was reported, the disease has been found in migratory birds, crows, and ducks. There are no cases of its transmission into humans.

8:30 am: Odisha govt says no bird flu cases in state, 'people can consume poultry products'

Amid bird flu scare following the death of over 100 poultry birds in Khordha district, the Odisha government on Thursday asked people not to panic over the incident as the avian influenza virus test came negative in all five selected samples. The Fisheries and Animal Resource Development Department in a statement said that people can consume chicken meat, eggs and other poultry products produced in the state after properly cooking them.

Meanwhile, a three-member team of the central team arrived in Kerala on Thursday to assess the situation arising out of the outbreak of bird flu in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. The team of experts and officials visited the district collectorate and the burial ground in Karuvatta village. In Kerala, 50,935 birds have been culled to stop the spread of the bird flu. This is in addition to the 25,000 odd birds that had died due to the bird flu outbreak in the state.

In Himachal Pradesh's Pong wildlife sanctuary, 381 more migratory birds were found dead taking the death toll of the birds from the bird flu to 3,409. Amid bird flu scare, 150 crows were found dead in Jaganoo area of Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir. Samples of dead crows have been sent for testing to detect if they died from the bird flu