Avian flu was confirmed in Cherthala municipality in Alappuzha on Friday.
Officials said the disease was detected in chickens at poultry farm in ward 15 (Kurikkachira) of the civic body.
Following the mass bird deaths at the farms last week, the Animal Husbandry department (AHD) sent samples to the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for analyses, which tested positive for avian influenza.
On Thursday, the outbreak was confirmed in chickens at a poultry farm in ward 10 (Chathanad) of Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat and crows in ward 4 (Ayurveda Hospital) of Muhamma grama panchayat.
AHD officials, citing preliminary assessment, said that 3,505 birds within the 1-km radius of the hotspots in Cherthala will be culled on Saturday. Likewise, 2,942 birds in Kanjikuzhy and Muhamma will be culled.
Source: The Hindu
