Chennai: A bird flu alert has been issued in Chennai after the mysterious deaths of several crows reported last month were confirmed to be caused by the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The confirmation came after samples collected from different parts of the city were tested at the ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHAS) laboratory in Bhopal. The samples were collected by the Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry Department’s Animal Disease Intelligence Unit in the fourth week of January, following reports of unexplained crow deaths in the Adyar area.
Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, which is known to have zoonotic potential, meaning it can spread from animals to humans in rare cases, according to Times of India reported.
Following the confirmation, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying wrote to the Tamil Nadu chief secretary, informing the state about the outbreak and asking authorities to step up biosecurity measures. Civic bodies have been instructed to disinfect areas where bird deaths were reported.
The ministry has also directed the state to closely monitor unusual bird deaths, intensify surveillance of poultry, and alert forest and wildlife departments. It has sought detailed reports on bird infections, deaths, and the disposal of carcasses, warning that highly pathogenic avian influenza poses serious concerns.
As part of safety measures, authorities have banned bare-handed contact with dead birds. People handling carcasses must wear gloves and wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water. Veterinary staff have been told not to conduct postmortems in the field and instead send bird carcasses to designated regional disease diagnostic laboratories, TOI reported.
Officials have stressed that dead birds and poultry should be disposed of safely, either by burning or by burying them at a depth of at least 8 to 10 feet, to prevent the virus from spreading through scavenging animals. Forest department teams have also been asked to carry out checks in wooded areas to look for wild bird deaths.
After the outbreak was confirmed, the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine issued a public health advisory on Thursday.
“Transmission from birds to humans is extremely rare, except in cases where people touch carcasses with the live virus in them and then touch body parts such as mouth or eyes. There are not many such cases reported historically and there is no need to panic,” said director of public health Dr A Somasundaram.
However, the department advised people to seek medical attention if they experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, sore throat, or body pain. Poultry workers, bird handlers, and those who may have come into contact with dead birds have been asked to remain alert and report any symptoms to the nearest government health facility.
The public has also been urged to report unusual bird deaths, maintain good personal hygiene, avoid eating undercooked meat or raw and partially cooked eggs, stay away from areas where bird flu cases have been reported, and avoid spreading rumours.
