H5N1 bird flu detected at Hesaraghatta poultry training centre; containment under way

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been confirmed at a poultry training centre in Mathkuru village, Hesaraghatta, on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The infection was confirmed on 14 April 2026 from samples tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal — India's reference lab for foreign and emerging animal diseases. Rapid Response Teams from the State, district and Primary Health Centre levels visited the site on 16 April 2026 to begin containment operations.

H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus that primarily infects birds but occasionally crosses to humans through close contact with infected poultry. The standard containment protocol issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying involves culling of poultry within a 1-km infected zone, surveillance up to 10 km, disinfection of the premises, restriction on the movement of birds and bird products, and surveillance of people who may have been exposed. Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated that containment was on track and that there was no need for public panic.

India has reported sporadic H5N1 outbreaks since the first detection in Maharashtra and Gujarat in 2006. India follows a stamping-out (cull-and-compensate) policy and does not vaccinate poultry against H5N1. The country reports outbreaks to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) and the World Health Organization. Most Indian human cases globally have been rare, with the first confirmed Indian human death from H5N1 occurring in 2021.

From a policy perspective the episode underlines the importance of the 'One Health' approach — integrating human, animal and environmental surveillance. The Centre's National Action Plan on Avian Influenza (revised 2021) places NIHSAD at the apex of laboratory diagnosis and the Animal Husbandry Department at the centre of operational containment, with the Health Ministry handling human surveillance. Hesaraghatta is also the site of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research and a known migratory-bird grassland, which is why early detection and rapid action there are critical.

Exam angle: Memorise that NIHSAD Bhopal is India's national reference laboratory for HPAI, that India follows a stamping-out (no vaccination) policy on poultry H5N1, and that international notification goes to WOAH. Add this to your One Health and biosecurity preparation.