H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district
Authorities have launched containment operations and culled over 1,500 birds after laboratory tests confirmed the H5N1 virus.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) has been confirmed in chicken samples from a poultry farm in Kattiyankuppam village, Kurinjipadi taluk, according to The Hindu. The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal confirmed the virus in samples collected from a poultry carcass on November 5, 2026.
The outbreak was first reported on October 30 following sudden bird deaths at a farm in Thamanampatti village. As of November 13, a total of 35,647 bird deaths have been recorded in the affected belt.
District Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar said that nine Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to carry out culling and disposal. So far, 1,550 birds have been culled. The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department is working to cull all birds at the affected farm and within a one-kilometre radius.
The district has been divided into compartments to restrict the spread of the disease. Authorities have also issued an advisory prohibiting the restocking of poultry for three months in the affected area.
Carcasses are being disposed of through deep burial in designated pits with the application of bleaching powder. The Cuddalore district administration has asked the public not to panic, stating the outbreak is confined to the Cuddalore compartment.