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Kottayam: Bird flu has been confirmed at Mannarkkad local poultry breeding centre in Kottayam, according to District Collector V Vigneshwari. The Animal Welfare Department reported that 9,000 chickens were being raised there. H5N1 virus was confirmed following the deaths of numerous chickens with tests being conducted at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases Lab in Bhopal.To contain the spread, a one-kilometre radius around the confirmed site has been declared a bird flu-affected area. All domestic birds within this radius will be culled and disposed of under the supervision of the Animal Welfare Department. Disinfection measures will also be carried out here. The Rapid Action Team from the Animal Welfare Department will be responsible for culling and disposing of the birds according to guidelines set by the Central Government in 2021. The sale and import of egg, meat, and manure of chicken, duck, quail and other domestic birds are banned in wards 12, 13, 14 of Manna...