Monday 05/January/2026 – 10:27 PM
The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) announced that the Indian authorities reported new outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus on farms in the southern Indian state of Kerala, last December, according to Reuters.
India reports an outbreak of bird flu on farms in Kerala
The organization stated that 11 outbreaks of the virus were detected inside poultry farms in the state, explaining that the H5N1 virus caused the death of about 54,100 birds, most of them ducks.
An additional 30,289 birds were culled as a precaution to limit the spread of infection, according to a report issued by the Indian authorities.
The renewed outbreak of bird flu has raised increasing concerns among governments and the poultry industry around the world, especially in light of the large losses caused by the disease in recent years, after it led to the culling of huge numbers of birds, the disruption of supply chains, and the rise in prices of food products, as well as increased concern about the possibility of transmission of the infection to humans.
The report explained that the outbreaks were first observed on December 9, before being officially confirmed on the 22nd of the same month.
He pointed out that these cases are the first reported among poultry in India since last May, which raises questions about the return of virus activity after a period of relative calm.
The Indian authorities, in coordination with international health organizations, continue to closely monitor the situation and take the necessary preventive measures to prevent the spread of the disease to other regions, at a time when the World Health Organization for Animal Health stresses the importance of strengthening biosecurity measures on farms and quickly reporting any new suspected cases.
