India, April 18 -- The circulating H5N1 strain has killed millions of birds and mammals, including polar bear and penguins

Thousands of ducks in Kerala have been infected with the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the district administration confirmed.

The reports of infection in ducks from Edathua and Cheruthana in Kuttanad region have confirmed the presence of the disease, said officials of the Alappuzha district collectorate. However, they refused to share further details.

Abraham Ouseph from Edathua lost 3,000 of his 7,500 ducks in a week, according to a report in the newspaper The Hindu . Raghunathan Chirayil and Devarajan T from the same district also lost 238 and 171 birds, respectively.

Many birds infected by HPAI...