San Francisco Frontiers - Bird Flu Confirmed in Cuddalore; 90-Day Breeding Ban Imposed

The national laboratory in Bhopal has confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district. The diagnosis followed the testing of tissue and blood samples collected from dead chickens on local poultry farms.

Following the confirmation, the Cuddalore district administration has intensified containment operations. Nine specialized teams have been deployed to cull and safely dispose of infected poultry at the affected sites. District Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar addressed the media on Saturday to detail these measures and reassure the public that the situation is under control.

The collector stated that the initial spike in poultry mortality was reported on October 30 in Thimmanampettai, located within the Cuddalore-Kurinjipadi belt. While tissue samples were sent to both state and central laboratories, the definitive positive results for bird flu came from the facility in Bhopal.

According to official data, a total of 34,527 birds have perished since the onset of the outbreak. The infection has been strictly localized to the Cuddalore-Kurinjipadi region. Out of 129 poultry farms across Cuddalore, Chidambaram, and Virudhachalam, no further spread has been detected.

Culling operations are currently active in five remaining farms out of the 15 total units identified as affected. The goal is to completely sanitize these areas. As part of the containment strategy, affected farms are strictly prohibited from restocking or raising new poultry for a period of 90 days. These sites are being monitored by joint committees comprising revenue and local administration officials.

The health department has initiated the distribution of Tamiflu prophylaxis to farm workers and handlers who may have been exposed. Additionally, special medical camps and active surveillance protocols have been established at local primary health centers (PHCs) to monitor for flu-like symptoms over the next three to four days.

Emphasizing that market-ready poultry typically consists of older birds aged 65 to 70 days, while the affected broiler mortality occurred in younger birds aged 25 to 35 days, the collector urged the public not to panic. He confirmed that all necessary precautionary and sanitization measures are being executed under strict Union government protocols.

W.Thompson--SFF