Alappuzha: Bird flu has been declared a state disaster. Extreme alerts were announced in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts.
The ducks in Thalavady, Thakazhi, Pallipad in Alappuzha, and Neendoor in Karuvatta Kottayam district died in large numbers last day. The samples were then tested at the Palode Chief Disease Investigation Office and at the National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal.
In five of the eight samples, the H5N1 virus was found to cause bird flu. Depending on the genetic mutation of the virus, they may be lethal or transmitted to humans.
