The Health Department issued fresh guidelines to prevent bird flu (H5N1) from spreading to humans after cases were detected in parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts.
A meeting of the State Level Rapid Response Team chaired by Health Minister Veena George assessed the situation and directed officials to step up field-level vigilance.
Veena George said that while bird flu has not affected humans in Kerala so far, strict precautions are necessary. The Health Department has released special SOPs and technical guidelines, and instructed officials in affected districts to strengthen social awareness and preventive measures through trained One Health Community Volunteers.
A district-level control room has been opened to coordinate activities. Officials have been told to ensure the availability of medicines and PPE kits. Special monitoring for fever, severe body aches, cough, and shortness of breath is underway in affected areas, and those arriving with such symptoms will be monitored separately.
Unnatural bird deaths must be reported to the Animal Husbandry Department. Though bird flu has been confirmed in mammals abroad, no such case has been found in Kerala; sudden deaths in mammals must also be reported.
The department advised people not to handle dead or infected birds and to consume only well-cooked meat and eggs. Those working with raw meat or bird droppings are at higher risk and must use masks and gloves. Raw or half-cooked meat should not be consumed under any circumstances.
The guidelines reiterated that avian influenza affects all birds, including chickens, ducks, quails, geese, and turkeys. People in close contact with infected or domestic birds must remain vigilant.
Symptoms in birds include excessive feather shedding, thin-shelled eggs, reduced laying, sluggishness, discolouration, diarrhea, nasal bleeding, swollen eyelids, breathing difficulty, and bleeding spots on the body.
The Health Department advised frequent handwashing for those handling suspected birds and urged anyone developing a fever to seek medical care immediately. Dead birds, eggs, and droppings should be buried or burned as part of containment measures
– Ends
Published On:
Dec 24, 2025
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