Rapid Response Teams (RRT) of the Animal Husbandry department (AHD) culled over 17, 000 birds, including 16,919 ducks, within a one-km radius of the bird flu hotspot at Koyilmuck South (ward 10) in Edathua grama panchayat in Alappuzha on Saturday.
On April 30, RRTs culled 8,275 birds, including 8,025 ducks, in and around ward 10 in Edathua. However, the AHD could not complete the process that day due to rain and logistical issues.
Bird flu (H5N1) has so far been reported at five places in the district.
