NEW DELHI, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Indian authorities have undertaken strict measures in the southern state of Kerala following the outbreak of bird flu (avian influenza H5N1), officials said Tuesday.
The outbreak has been reported mainly in Alappuzha district, about 154 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.
Officials from the animal husbandry department have ordered the culling of poultry birds within a 1-km radius of the epicentre.
During the past two days, around 28,000 birds were culled.
Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well. ■