In Alappuzha district, bird flu (H5N1) outbreak triggered quick action. The Animal Husbandry Department’s Rapid Response Teams culled a total of 28,549 birds in two days. On Saturday, they culled 24,309 birds in four grama panchayats: Cheruthana (4,300), Purakkad (5,813), Punnapra South (8,171), and Ambalappuzha South (6,025). The day before, in Nedumudi, Karuvatta, Karthikappally, Thakazhi, and Kumarapuram panchayats, 4,240 birds were culled. Besides birds, 584 eggs and 8,380 kg of feed were destroyed to prevent the virus spread. The Alappuzha District AHD officer Arunodaya P.V said, "Culling and disposal of carcasses as per the standard operating procedure have been completed. As many as 28,549 birds were culled over two days as part of containment measures. No fresh cases of avian flu have been reported from anywhere in the district." Bird flu was found in one ward each of Nedumudi, Cheruthana, Karuvatta, Karthikappally, Ambalappuzha South, Punnapra South, Thakazhi, and Purakkad panchayats. Though Kumarapuram was not an epicentre, it was declared an infected zone because it lies within one kilometer of Karthikappally. The outbreak followed mass deaths of ducks and chickens. Samples from dead birds were tested at the Avian Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Thiruvalla and the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal, confirming avian influenza. Both the Animal Husbandry and Health departments have increased surveillance in the area to keep the situation under control.