The culling was of chickens, which are the only birds at the facility, an official of the state animal husbandry and veterinary services said. (Source: Express Photo)An outbreak of H5N1 or avian influenza at a state government facility providing training in the rearing of poultry on the outskirts of Bengaluru has resulted in the culling of 7,444 birds and the declaration of a village on the outskirts and its surrounding area as an infected zone.The H5N1 outbreak at the State Poultry and Training Centre at the Mathkuru village in Hesaraghatta in north Bengaluru was identified on the basis of an April 14 positive test report from the National Institute of High Security of Animal Diseases in Bhopal, the Karnataka health department said in a statement on Friday.“A total of 7,444 birds, 14,788 eggs, and 2,250 kg of poultry feed were culled and scientifically disposed of by the veterinary department on 15.04.2026. The burial site has been secured and declared a prohibited area for one year. Ten cullers have been quarantined and are under medical supervision with Oseltamivir prophylaxis,” the state health department said.The culling was of chickens, which are the only birds at the facility, an official of the state animal husbandry and veterinary services said.The state health department said rapid response teams of health experts were deployed to Mathkuru village on April 16 to assess the impact of the H5N1 outbreak.“Mathkuru village has been declared ‘Infected Zone’ (0-3 km) and the surrounding 3 to 10 km area of PHC Hesaraghatta and Sonnenahalli falls under ‘Surveillance Zone’. Two villages with 3,422 population fall in the 0-3 km zone and 17 villages with 22,395 population fall in the 3-10 km zone,” the state health department said.The department added that teams of health workers and ASHA workers will conduct daily house-to-house fever surveillance. Private hospitals have also been alerted to report Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases in the Integrated Health Information Platform portal.Story continues below this ad“The public is advised not to panic. Avoid contact with sick/dead birds and report the same to local veterinary or health authorities. Consumption of properly cooked poultry meat and eggs is safe,” the health department said.The outbreak of H5N1 in poultry training facilities located at Hesaraghatta in north Bengaluru—a key location for government animal husbandry and horticulture facilities—is not a new phenomenon.In 2012, the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) at Hesaraghatta, located around 30 km from central Bangalore, culled all poultry on its farms as part of a sanitation process after an H5N1 outbreak in the facility.The outbreak of avian influenza in 2012 was in turkeys at the CPDO. Tests at the Bhopal lab had confirmed the spread and resulted in the culling of 3,500 turkeys. Later, 19,235 chickens, 13,673 ducks, and 369 emu birds were culled at the facility.Story continues below this adThe year 2008 witnessed an unprecedented spread of H5N1 in the world, with even human infections and deaths being reported around the world. Experts said at the time that changes in the virus since 2003 had resulted in the generation of a strain which spread to humans in multiple countries, especially in south Asia. The drug Oseltamivir emerged at the time as an effective means to treat human infections.“Adequate stock of PPE kits, triple-layer masks, Oseltamivir, VTM and throat swabs is available,” the Karnataka health department said on Friday regarding the Hesarghatta outbreak of H5N1.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd