CUDDALORE: The national laboratory in Bhopal, which tested tissue and blood samples collected from dead chickens on poultry farms in Cuddalore district, has confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) in the district. Following the confirmation, the Cuddalore district administration has intensified containment operations, deploying nine specialised teams to cull and safely dispose of infected poultry in the affected farms.Addressing the media on Saturday, district collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar detailed the comprehensive containment measures being executed and reassured the public that the situation is firmly under control. The collector said the initial spike in poultry mortality was reported in Thimmanampettai in the Cuddalore-Kurinjipadi belt on Oct 30.Tissue samples sent to state and central laboratories confirmed bird flu-positive results from the Bhopal facility. Out of 129 poultry farms in Cuddalore, Chidambaram and Virudhachalam, the infection had been strictly localised to the Cuddalore-Kurinjipadi region without further spread, the collector said.He said a total of 34,527 birds had perished since the onset of the outbreak. Culling operations are actively under way in the remaining five active farms out of the 15 total affected units to sanitise the area completely. Affected farms are strictly prohibited from restocking or raising new poultry for 90 days. The farms are monitored by joint committees comprising revenue and local administration officials, he said.The health department has initiated the distribution of Tamiflu prophylaxis to farm workers and handlers. Special medical camps and active surveillance have been established at local primary health centres (PHCs) to monitor for flu-like symptoms over the next three to four days.Emphasising that market-ready poultry consisted of older birds (65–70 days) whereas the affected broiler mortality occurred in younger birds (25–35 days), the collector urged the public not to panic, confirming that all necessary precautionary and sanitisation measures were being executed under strict Union govt protocols.
