Steps taken to check bird flu spread in EG

East Godavari District Collector P. Prashanthi has assured that all necessary precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of avian influenza in Peravali mandal.
During a visit to the affected areas in Kanuru Agraharam village on Tuesday, the Collector, accompanied by revenue, police, health, animal husbandry, and panchayat raj officials, reviewed the containment measures.
She stated that as soon as the virus was detected, the entire district was put on alert and steps were taken as per protocol. Three poultry farms in the village were sanitised, and all dead chickens were disinfected. A one-kilometre radius has been declared a restricted zone, preventing the movement of birds and eggs from the farms.
Health camps are being organised in 34 villages, and the Animal Husbandry Department is administering vaccines to livestock to prevent further spread. The Collector clarified that there have been no reports of bird-to-human transmission so far. As a precaution, the supply of eggs to Anganwadi centres and schools has been suspended for a week.
A surveillance zone has been set up within a 10-km radius of the affected area, and officials are identifying poultry workers for swab tests to check for infections. Permission from the State Government is required to collect these samples and send them to a laboratory in Kakinada for analysis.
Medical and health teams are conducting door-to-door surveys within a one-km radius to identify any symptomatic cases. Medical camps have been set up in villages near Primary Health Centres in Kanuru, Samisragudem, Markondapadu, Peravali, Undrajavaram, Velivennu, and Sitanagaram mandals. A total of 64 teams, including ASHA workers, ANMs, and Community Health Officers, have been deployed for surveillance.
RDO Rani Sushmita, DMHO Dr K. Venkateswara Rao, and Animal Husbandry Officer T. Srinivas Rao accompanied the Collector during the visit.
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