Karnataka culls chickens as bird flu outbreak hits Chikkaballapur

Authorities in Karnataka have launched containment measures after an H5N1 bird flu outbreak was confirmed at a poultry farm in Varadahalli, Chikkaballapur district. The State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has ordered the culling of 350 chickens to prevent further spread.

Following reports of 28 chicken deaths in a local household, samples from the affected poultry farm tested positive for avian influenza at the Bengaluru Central Laboratory. In response, all roads leading to the village have been barricaded, and chicken movement has been strictly prohibited. Officials have also conducted door-to-door poultry surveys and disinfected the area with sodium hypochlorite.

However, concerns have arisen after reports suggested that 10,000 chickens from Varadahalli were transported to Bengaluru’s meat shops and hotels before the outbreak was detected. Investigations are underway to track the supply chain and issue necessary warnings.

With recent bird flu cases in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Karnataka has intensified border surveillance on poultry trucks. Officials in Belagavi district have also started screening poultry farms and restricting cross-border movement from Maharashtra.

The outbreak has caused a decline in consumer demand for chicken and eggs, leading to financial strain on poultry farmers in the region.

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