Kerala bird flu outbreak: Why is “God’s Own Country” a hub for the illness? Expert opinions are expressed

There is now a bird flu epidemic in Kerala in a few different regions of the state. In accordance with the Kerala Public Health Act of 2023, State Health Minister Veena George has instructed the director of the health department to take the appropriate action. Ducks in a few wards of the Edathva and Cheruthana Grama Panchayats confirmed the “bird flu.”

As per media sources, testing carried out on ducks exhibiting symptoms verified the existence of avian influenza, also known as the H5N1 virus. After these ducks’ samples were transferred to a lab in Bhopal, choices were taken to kill around 21,000 ducks and domesticated birds that were within a kilometer of the affected areas, which include Edathua and Cheruthana, which are thought to be the outbreak’s epicentres. However, why Kerala is a hotspot?

Kerala’s susceptibility to bird flu epidemics has several contributing variables, according to Dr. Sachin D., Consultant – Interventional Pulmonology Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham, Bengaluru, who spoke with News9. The state’s intensive chicken farming methods, which include housing a lot of birds in small spaces, make it easy for the virus to spread. Kerala’s many rivers and backwaters also serve as a home for migratory birds, some of which are virus-carrying. This confluence of circumstances facilitates the onset and quick spread of bird flu epidemics in Kerala.

H5N1: What is it?
The Cleveland Clinic defines “bird flu,” also known as “avian influenza,” as an illness caused by a virus or flu that often infects birds and other animals. Bird flu may sometimes spread to humans via infected animals. Certain strains of the flu are more likely to infect individuals than others. Occasionally, it may be fatal or very dangerous. On the other hand, the infection does not often transfer from person to person.

Bird flu symptoms
High temperature.
Weary.
Cough.
Aches in the muscles.
sore throat.
vomiting as well as nausea.
a case of diarrhea.
congestion or runny nose.
breathing difficulty (dyspnea).
Conjunctivitis, or pink eye.