PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) – India reported 11 outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza on farms in the southern state of Kerala last month, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday.
The spread of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has worried governments and the poultry industry as it has ravaged chicken flocks around the world in recent years, disrupting supplies, driving up food prices and increasing the risk of human-to-human transmission.
Paris-based WOAH cited reports from Indian authorities that the H5N1 virus killed a total of 54,100 birds, mostly ducks. A further 30,289 birds were subsequently culled as a precautionary measure.
The report stated that the epidemic was discovered on December 9 and confirmed on December 22. This is the first time this condition has been reported in poultry since May, the report said.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Gus Trompiz)
