Bhubaneswar, Aug 26: The Rapid Response Teams of the Odisha Veterinary and Health Department have culled over 19,000 chickens in the Pipili area of Puri district since Saturday to contain the spread of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.

On Monday, senior Health Department officials announced that surveillance efforts have been intensified, and preventive measures are being implemented to prevent the outbreak from spreading to other parts of the state.

The Rapid Response Teams were mobilized after reports of mass chicken deaths at poultry farms in Pipili. Veterinary doctors promptly collected samples from the affected chickens and sent them for testing to Vellore.

Odisha Health Director Bijay Mohapatra stated on Monday that bird flu is not new to the region, and preventive measures are already underway. "Our aim is to sanitize the affected areas, and the process has begun. As it is a viral infection, we are focusing on detection through surveillance," Mohapatra said.

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