Mandatory registration for poultry farms amid rising bird flu cases in India

The Indian government on Friday called on poultry farms to enhance hygiene practices, control farm access, and register with the authorities within a month to better track and control the bird flu outbreak, which has spread to wild birds in some areas.

A high-level meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Alka Upadhyaya from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, has initiated stricter biosecurity measures, surveillance protocols, and mandatory registration of poultry farms.

Upadhyaya emphasised the need for developing a predictive modelling system for early warning and environmental surveillance, which would enable proactive disease detection and response, minimising the risk of outbreaks and protecting the poultry industry.

Avian influenza, an infectious viral disease affecting birds with occasional transmission to mammals, has been detected in eight states: Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Bihar. Currently, there are six active outbreak zones.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has permitted the use of a low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) vaccine made by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, which is now commercially available. A national study will evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness.

The meeting also recommended conducting a detailed, science-based assessment to determine the feasibility of using the HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) vaccine in India.