Biomedical measures in Telangana poultries intensified; Khammam border closed

The bird flu was prevalent in the poultry farms in East Godavari and West Godavari districts where a large number of birds died in the last few days prompting officials to initiate precautionary measures. As Khammam is the bordering district for West Godavari district, officials closed the border to prevent entry of vehicles loaded with chicken from the farms in West Godavari district, officials said.

Instructions have been issued to the veterinary doctors in all districts in Telangana to conduct field inspections at the poultry farms and examine chicken to know the mortality rate and the condition of birds. In case any farm registers sick chicken, then officials must inform their superiors immediately to collect samples and forward them to Telangana State Veterinary Biological and Research Institute (VBRI) here for examination.

“As of now, there is no bird flu case in the State,” said an official from the epidemiology wing in the Animal Husbandry department on Tuesday. He said that the State government asked the administration in all districts along with all veterinary doctors to step up biomedical measures as a precautionary step.

“There is no need for us to panic as Telangana is the highest producer of chicken and eggs and we won’t rely on other States to get chicken. This would eventually reduce the risk of poultry farms affected with bird flu. Moreover, the bordering areas in Khammam abutting West Godavari were also closed as a preventive step,” the official explained.

In fact, poultry farms from Telangana supply eggs to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other States.