Five months after avian influenza (AI) cases were reported in several poultry farms in the coastal Puri district of Odisha state in India, the region is again on alert.
Over 500 poultry deaths were reported recently, with some estimates claiming more than 5000 bird deaths in early July.
Puri veterinary officials said several poultry farms reported unusually high death rates in recent weeks amid concerns of an AI outbreak. The deaths were concentrated in several villages in the Delang area, said Puri district’s Chief Veterinary Officer Sarat Kumar Behera.
“Poultry farm owners claim the deaths are due to AI, but have yet to get a confirmation. We’ve sent samples of chicken droppings and blood to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease in Bhopal for confirmation,” he added.
Officials said thousands of chicken deaths have been reported in villages like Amula, Sishuapada, Gediput, Matiapada, Beguniapada, Singhabrahmapur, Tinpur and Gadmotata of Delang block.
Government assistance
Ashok Pradhan, Advisor of the District Chicken Farmers Development Forum, urged the government to support affected chicken farmers.
During an AI outbreak in the Pipili area of Puri in February 2025, authorities culled over 11,700 chickens after detecting the H5N1 strain.