Key Development

Following reports of large-scale crow deaths, the Tamil Nadu government has placed the State on high alert and strengthened food safety and biosecurity measures to prevent a possible bird flu or avian influenza outbreak from spreading through poultry, wild birds, and the food chain.

Enforcing Strict Biosecurity in Poultry Handling

The Department of Animal Husbandry has directed poultry farms, slaughterhouses, and live bird markets to strictly follow hygiene and biosecurity protocols. Poultry handlers and slaughterhouse workers must use protective equipment, avoid direct contact with sick or dead birds, and maintain clean handling practices to minimise food contamination risks.

Intensifying Surveillance and Laboratory Testing

Veterinary teams across Tamil Nadu have intensified surveillance of crows, migratory birds, and domestic poultry to detect sudden illness or deaths quickly. Authorities have banned field-level post-mortem examinations and instructed officials to send bird samples and carcasses only to designated Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories for testing.

Ensuring Safe Disposal of Dead Birds

To reduce environmental and food safety risks, officials have ordered the incineration or deep burial of all dead birds. Authorities have warned the public not to touch bird carcasses with bare hands. When handling becomes unavoidable, people must use gloves and wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.

Issuing Public Health Advisories

Health authorities have advised people to seek immediate medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, or breathing difficulty after exposure to birds. Officials have also urged citizens to promptly report unusual bird deaths to the animal husbandry department to prevent unsafe poultry from entering the food supply.

Tightening Market Controls and Preparedness

Authorities have increased monitoring at live bird and wet markets across the State and regulated the movement of poultry and poultry products, especially in border districts. The government has also launched targeted awareness campaigns on avian influenza or bird flu, safe poultry handling, and personal hygiene, while directing district administrations to ensure readiness with adequate equipment and rapid response systems.

Source: The Indian Express