Poultry farmers in the Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts of central and southern Kerala’s pristine backwaters region are concerned for their future, as another wave of avian culls happens in the region over bird flu fears.
A number of farmers told Down To Earth (DTE) that the risk for them in the long-term was more about economics than health.
This year had begun on a hopeful note for many livestock farmers in the region. After a protracted absence due to pandemic-induced lockdowns and frequent reports of the HPAI H5N1 strain, the highly sought-after Kuttanadan duck was back on the menu for Easter, which fell on March 31.
For people in Kerala’s central and southern regions, festivals like Easter and Christmas would remain incomplete without duck-based curries, roasts, and mappas.
Farmers hoped that this marked the beginning of their recovery from recurring losses.
Unfortunately, bird flu reared its head again towards April-end. The situation has worsened in recent weeks, with strong impacts on the rural economy.
In Kuttanad, Kerala’s rice bowl, people reside below sea level on small islands scattered amidst backwaters and wetlands. They mostly depend on small-scale jobs such as poultry farming to sustain their livelihoods.
After the avian flu epidemics of 2014 and 2016 (which led to approximately 800,000 ducks being culled), three additional outbreaks from January 2021 to October 2022 (250,000 ducks culled), floods (in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021) and the COVID-19 pandemic, many farmers seem to have had enough of the situation.
“We have no choice but to participate in massive culling, which is quite distressing. The government aid we receive is virtually non-existent. We have been facing the prospect of eradicating the duck population due to the sickness for over 10 years,” said duck farmer TV Joseph of Kallara village.
“The farming community needs additional scientific counsel to survive the current circumstances. We need to establish this fact unequivocally and investigate potential treatments. This is about the annual epidemics and whether migratory birds are to blame,” he added.
VJ Sebastian, a duck farmer in Karuvatta village, the epicentre of the outbreak last year, expressed concern about the government’s indifference to the situation. He mentioned that the government only takes action when new cases arise and does not conduct proactive monitoring. Sebastian also mentioned the need for more scientific guidance to deal with such situations.
According to B Rajasekharan, head of the Alappuzha district committee of the Kerala Duck Farmers’ Association, it takes at least two weeks to send samples to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal for confirmation of the virus’s presence.
Facilities to test and confirm the virus locally are needed in Alappuzha because the pandemic has become an annual occurrence.
Rajasekharan said getting confirmation early on can help restrict culling to smaller areas so farmers won’t lose as much money.
According to veterinarians, it is crucial to identify the species of migratory birds that could be behind the spread of the disease. Birdwatchers at Vembanad lake, which surrounds Kuttanad, can observe Siberian cranes, herons, bitterns, teals, larks, flycatchers, Brahminy kites, and marsh harriers.
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent the spread of avian flu. Farmers raise ducks meticulously, adhering to government regulations and using scientific methods. However, this has resulted in significant financial losses.
According to Rajasekharan, authorities have determined that culling and cleaning the infected farms is the only practical option.
The current compensation is Rs 200 for a dead duck over two months old and Rs 100 for a duck under two months old.
Farmers are expressing dissatisfaction with the compensation amounts, considering them insufficient. Following the first major outbreak in 2014, which became an annual occurrence, many duck farmers in the area began seeking alternative work.
More than 100,000 ducks were culled in May and June in Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts, Kerala’s Minister for Animal Husbandry, J Chinchurani, told DTE on July 2.
She added that the situation had worsened by June-end. Despite the state’s efforts, the results of the fight against the disease have not been as expected, Chinchurani admitted.
The flu has also been confirmed in chickens, pigeons, crows, herons and peafowl in southern Kerala. health officials said the samples tested at NIHSAD have confirmed this.
As of July 1, Alappuzha had seen the culling of 85,297 birds (chickens and ducks), with Kottayam coming in second with 22,202 and Pathanamthitta coming in third with 7,290, Chinchurani confirmed.
In Alappuzha, district authorities have decided to cull 12,000 chickens at the Puliyoor campus of Central Hatchery in Chengannur this week due to the bird flu outbreak, confirmed by NIHSAD.
On July 3, Rapid Response Teams (RRT) of the animal husbandry department culled 34,033 birds in the avian flu-affected Chennam-Pallipuram, Vayalar, and Thycattussery Gram Panchayats in Alappuzha.
The state machinery has adopted a multi-pronged to tackle the outbreak.
So far, there have been no confirmed human cases of bird flu in the region. However, a state government-appointed expert panel has initiated field investigations in flu-affected areas such as Thanneermukkom, Cherthala, Cheruthana, and Chengannur to determine if anyone is experiencing any health issues. Strict vigilance has also been enforced in the region.
Kerala’s Forest Minister, AK Saseendran, has instructed the state’s social forestry department to monitor the migration of birds around Alappuzha and Kottayam. Authorities are on the lookout for unexpected bird deaths, and fishing regulations have been enforced in the backwater areas of Alappuzha.
The veterinary department has implemented protocols, such as area isolation and proper infection detection. However, the recent heavy rains have made the task challenging, and only a quarter of the identified birds have been culled.
The government has advised farmers to report to the nearest veterinary hospital if they suspect bird flu in their poultry. If five or more birds die suddenly, samples will be sent to NIHSAD for testing.
In the event of an outbreak, the affected areas are classified into three zones: the epicentre, the origin point of the outbreak; the infected zone, which encompasses a 1 km radius around the epicentre; and the surveillance zone, which covers a 10 km radius. All birds within the infected zone are culled to prevent further spread.
However, the region faces a significant challenge in disposing of the carcasses due to the scarcity of firewood, coconut husks, and shells caused by heavy rains.
The alternative burial option requires the carcasses to be interred at least 2 metres deep. Nonetheless, in the current scenario, low-lying areas of Kuttanad would experience groundwater inundation, filling the burial holes.
According to Senior Animal Husbandry Officer D Shine Kumar, the Kerala health department has issued specific guidelines for those involved in culling operations to stop the spread of avian influenza.
Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George has advised the public to inform the health department about unusual bird deaths, including crows. Her office’s release stated that people should not handle dead or diseased birds and that meat and eggs should only be consumed after proper cooking.
Since it emerged in 1996, H5N1 has caused the mass killing of billions of wild birds and fowl across the globe. According to the WHO, between 2003 and April 1, 2024, close to 900 human infections of H5N1 have been reported from 23 countries, and more than half of those infections were fatal.
“Regular monitoring of wild aquatic birds and the wild bird-poultry-wetland interface is essential to understanding the prevalence of avian influenza viruses,” PO Nameer of Kerala Agriculture University’s Department of Wildlife Sciences told DTE.