India has successfully eliminated HPAI or bird flu from 26 poultry farms by implementing internationally recognised protocols to combat the virus without vaccination, officials said.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) recently approved India’s self-declaration of freedom from avian flu in specific poultry compartments.
Ten more poultry farms are yet to be declared bird flu-free by the officials.
In 2006, bird flu posed a significant danger to India's poultry industry, which comprised an astonishing 851 million birds.
To effectively tackle the issue of bird flu, India has taken bold steps by implementing a proactive 'detect and cull' strategy, aligning with the comprehensive guidelines provided by the National Action Plan for Prevention, Control, and Containment of Avian Influenza.
Since the detection of the disease, a staggering 9 million birds have been culled across 24 states and Union Territories in order to effectively curb its spread.
The time-consuming nature of the protocol gave way to an illegal vaccine market.
The avian flu outbreak has had a devastating impact on farmers' livelihoods, international trade and the health of wild birds.
Parshottam Rupala, the Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairy, and Fisheries, addressed the Indian media, expressing optimism about the significant strides made in eradicating avian flu from 26 poultry farms. He emphasized that this accomplishment would undoubtedly pave the way for people to fully reap its benefits.
He added that India is not only the third-largest producer of eggs, surpassing the remarkable number of 129.60 billion annualy, but also the fifth-largest producer of poultry, reaching an impressive figure of 4.47 million tonnes annualy.