With the outbreak of avian flu (H5N1) in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, Karnataka has imposed a high alert in its border districts — Belagavi, Bidar, Ballari, and Raichur, officials familiar with the matter said, adding that surveillance has been increased and poultry trucks will be stopped from entering the state to curb the risk of infection.
During a meeting held in Bengaluru onMonday, principal secretary of the health department Harsh Gupta reviewed the situation and directed officials to monitor poultry workers and vehicles transporting poultry from the affected states. “Though no cases have been reported, we are on high alert to prevent the rapid spread of the virus among birds,” he said.
Maharashtra’s Kolhapur and Latur districts, which share a border with Belagavi and Bidar, and the regions adjoining Telangana and Andhra Pradesh near Ballari and Raichur, have reported a rise in bird flu cases.
Although no cases have been reported within Karnataka, poultry sales in Belagavi and Bidar districts have declined since February 17. “While no infections have been detected, panic fuelled by rumors has negatively impacted business,” Sameer Bahewadi, a poultry farm owner with outlets in Belagavi and Vijayapura, said.
An official from the Belagavi district administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that poultry imports from Maharashtra have been halted and urged consumers to buy local poultry products.
According to an official from the Animal Husbandry Department in Belagavi, bird flu is a zoonotic viral disease primarily affecting poultry, with the potential to infect mammals, including humans and swine.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders’ Association vice president Manjesh Kumar Jadhav said that the state’s poultry industry remains stable. “The bird flu outbreak in neighbouring states has not significantly impacted our business. Karnataka produces around four crore broilers monthly, and with sufficient production, wholesale prices have dropped,” he said.