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The death of ducks in Kuttanad has triggered panic among farmers.
According to Animal Husbandry Department officials, around 1,200 ducks/ducklings were found dead in Thalavady, near Edathua, on Thursday morning.
The majority of the dead ducks belonged to two farmers, K.V. Varghese and Zacharia Geevarghese. They put the number of dead ducks at 2,000.
Officials said samples had been sent to the Avian Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Thiruvalla for testing.
“We are closely monitoring the situation. The cause of death could only be ascertained after receiving the examination results,” said an official.
Earlier this year, bird flu caused by the H5N8 strain of the Influenza A virus was detected from six places in Kuttanad at Nedumudi, Thakazhi, Pallippad, Karuvatta, and Kainakary in Alappuzha district and Neendoor in Kottayam district.
More than 80,000 birds, mostly ducks, died or were culled in the two districts due to the outbreak. It was the third outbreak of avian influenza in the region in the last seven years. In 2014, thousands of ducks had perished or had been culled in the region following a highly infectious bird flu outbreak caused by H5N1 virus. In 2016, avian influenza caused by the H5N8 virus was detected among ducks in Kuttanad.
Besides, the region also witnessed mass duck deaths in recent years due to bacterial infections.
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