In a serious blow to poultry farmers, authorities have confirmed the presence of a extremely pathogenic avian influenza virus in Kottayam district. In response to animal husbandry division officers, preventive measures have been intensified after avian influenza (H5N1) was confirmed in ward 16 of Udayanapuram grama panchayat in Vaikom taluk. District Collector Chetan Kumar Meena convened a gathering of the District Catastrophe Administration Authority and determined to culle poultry and different poultry animals inside a radius of 1 km from the affected space as per the prescribed process. Areas inside a 1km radius of the an infection website have been declared contaminated areas, whereas a 10km radius has been declared a surveillance space.
Along with Udayanapuram Panchayat, the sale, transportation and use of eggs, meat, fertilizers and different poultry merchandise of geese, chickens, quails and different home birds has been banned in native areas inside a radius of 10 km for 3 days. These embody Vaikom municipality, Chempu, Maravanthurthu, TV Puram, Thalayazham, Kalara, Thalayolaparambu and Kaduthurthi.
