Bengaluru, 28 Feb

After cases of bird flu were detected in Ballari, Chikkaballapur and Raichur districts of Karnataka, the Health Department has stepped up its surveillance across the state, officials said on Friday.

Cases of bird flu (H5N1 avian influenza), among poultry birds have been reported in Manvi taluk of Raichur, Chikkaballapur taluk of Chikkaballapur and Sandur taluk of Ballari, they said.

However, no cases of bird flu in humans have been reported in the state so far, official said.

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services department collected samples of dead poultry birds and sent them to Central Laboratory in Bhopal where it was confirmed that those birds died due to bird flu, a senior official from the health department told PTI.

As part of precautionary measures, the Animal Husbandry department has initiated culling within 3 km radius of the place where cases of bird flu have been detected, he said.

"We have stepped up surveillance and set up facilities for isolation beds in the nearest hospitals where cases of bird flu have been detected," he said.

Urging public to not panic, the senior health department official assured that all preventive measures are being taken by the respective district authorities in coordination with Health and Animal Husbandry departments of the state.