Khammam: Following the bird flu outbreak in AP, tension has increased in border regions. On directives from the government, officials from the adjacent districts of Kothagudem and Khammam have beefed up vigil on borders and not allowing vehicles carrying poultry products from the neighbouring State into Telangana.

There are 24 checkpoints on the borders. Employees of the Animal Husbandry department have been deployed there. After being inspected, vehicles are permitted entry into the state. Specifically, steps are being taken to stop vehicles carrying chickens, eggs, and chicken feed into Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.

Vehicles carrying feed, eggs, and poultry are being turned away. Bird flu cases in AP have been reported in Velpur under Tanuku Mandal( West Godavari), Agra Haram, Peravali mandal of the East Godavari district.

It has been established that AVN influenza (H5N1 bird flu) is present in samples obtained from the hens there. Since Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts are bordering Godavari districts, the authorities here have also been alerted.

Checkpoints have been established by officers close to AP borders in both districts. Chicken farm owners have been warned to exercise caution by the officials.

AP provides supply to the two joint districts. Joint Khammam and the surrounding areas are home to thousands of chicken shops. AP provides traders with feed, birds, and chicken eggs. Until two weeks ago, 5,000 hens perished in Kalluru mandal and 3,000 in Penuballi mandal of Khammam district.

Samples were gathered by officials and forwarded to the laboratory. However, it was revealed that the virus caused by climate change killed the month-old chicks. New hens should only be produced after the farms where the chickens died have been cleansed and left empty for two months.

Even the proprietors of chicken farms that were not infected with any viruses started to worry as the hens started dying one by one. They closed the farms temporarily and sold the remaining birds. At this point, AP cases of avian flu were identified.

In response to avian flu, veterinarians are once again gathering samples in poultry farms. There is no reason to fear, according to officials, as there are currently no bird flu cases reported in our State.

“The rise of avian flu cases in AP is something we are closely monitoring. We have taken aggressive measures to keep feed, eggs, and chickens out of the state. We have previously given the proper instructions and visited the poultry farms in the border mandals. We have instructed the owners to wear masks when approaching the land and will be leaving the fields within 10 kilometers of the AP border. K. Venkata Narayana, Animal Husbandry Department JD, Khammam, said.