Around 2,500 chickens died in a span of three days following an outbreak of a “mysterious disease” in the poultry farms of Konnur, Madanapuram mandal of the Wanaparthy district, said an official on Friday.

District Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Officer of Wanaparthy, K Venkateshwar, confirmed the outbreak and said that the cause of the disease is being investigated.

The official, while sharing information, said, “A mysterious disease has hit poultry farms in Konnur, Madanapuram mandal, Wanaparthy district, resulting in the deaths of approximately 2,500 chickens within a span of just three days.”

“We inspected the spot after 2500 chickens died. We have taken samples that have been sent to the lab for testing,” he said.

“The deaths occurred over three days—117 on February 16th, 300 on the 17th, and the remaining on the 18th, after which we were informed and sent the samples to the lab on the 19th. These chickens died at the Premium Form, an integrated system with a capacity of 5,500, owned by Shivakehavulu,” said the official.

Earlier last week, the Andhra Pradesh government intensified efforts to curb the spread of bird flu, with strict containment measures in place across three affected districts.

Additional Director of Animal Husbandry, Dr Satya Kumari, stated, “The bird flu is restricted to three districts and five farms. Approximately one lakh hens have been culled due to the outbreak.”

Yesterday, Andhra Agriculture, Cooperation, Marketing, and Animal Husbandry Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu reassured the public that there was no cause for concern regarding bird flu, as the government had implemented strict measures to control its spread.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)