Bird flu: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh govts issue norms for safe consumption of eggs, chicken

The price of chicken has dropped from Rs 250 to Rs 150, affecting the poultry industry.

After confirmation that the recent deaths of chickens in Andhra Pradesh was due to bird flu (H5N1), the state government has issued guidelines for the safe consumption of chicken and eggs.

According to CNBCTV18, this has led to a decline in demand and a sharp drop in poultry prices. In Telangana, too, there have been deaths but bird flu has not been confirmed yet.

After Avian Influenza (H5N1) was detected at two locations—Velpuru in West Godavari district and Kanuru Agraharam in East Godavari district—Animal Husbandry officials in Andhra Pradesh have begun culling birds at two affected poultry farms, an official told PTI

Animal Husbandry Department Director Damodar Naidu stated that the ICAR–National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) detected the viral disease from the samples recently sent for testing.

"We are culling birds at these two poultry farms. If we receive reports from other locations, we will monitor the situation and take necessary action. So far, around 4,500 birds have been culled," Naidu told PTI.

Declaring a 1 km radius as a red zone, he advised people to avoid entering the affected poultry farms.

Furthermore, he emphasised that all chicken shops within the red zones have been ordered to shut down.

Over the past 45 days, nearly four lakh chickens have perished in the affected areas, prompting the department to send samples to NIHSAD for testing.

In a recent letter to the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, the Government of India’s (GoI) Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying directed the state to execute control and containment operations as per the Action Plan of Animal Husbandry for Prevention, Control, and Containment of Avian Influenza (2021).

"Necessary actions, as outlined in the Action Plan of Animal Husbandry, must be completed immediately by the state government, including the declaration of infected and surveillance areas," the letter stated.

The directive also mandated restricting access to infected premises, culling of birds, disposal of dead bodies and infected materials, cleaning and disinfection, sealing of affected premises, issuance of sanitisation certificates, postoperative surveillance, and imposition of legislative measures.

In addition to culling birds, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying recommended placing a 10 km radius from the epicentre under strict surveillance.

It further advised statewide monitoring to track any spread of the infection, while the GoI will notify the World Organisation for Animal Health about the outbreak.

The Telangana government has heightened vigilance, setting up check-posts along the Andhra Pradesh border and turning back poultry vehicles.

Telangana Animal Husbandry Department Principal Secretary Sachi Ghosh emphasised the importance of awareness and precautions. “People should be vigilant, and only cooked meat and eggs should be consumed," he told News18.

The price of chicken has dropped from Rs 250 to Rs 150, affecting the poultry industry.