Bengaluru: The outbreak of H5N1 – or bird flu infection – does not have a significant dent in the sales of fowls and eggs, the Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association (KPFBA) has said.

KPFBA executive general secretary Inayat Ulla Khan said the current bird flu outbreak has only hit sales below 20%. “There is no need to be panic since there is a lot of awareness among those who owns poultry farms,” Khan said.

In Yelahanka, where the outbreak first erupted, the sale of chicken has been completely stopped. Traders have also stopped procuring chicken from Tamil Nadu.

“The disease has been found in country (Nati) chicken – which is 0.5% of the total supplies – and not in broilers. A lot of these came in from Tamil Nadu. As of now, we have stopped accepting supplies from Tamil Nadu” Jadhav said.

The association records reveal that Bengalureans consume around 4.5 lakh kilos each day, while the annual per capita consumption is about 35 kilograms. The city also consumes 40 to 50 lakh eggs per day. Yelahanka accounts for about 10% of these total sales.

Civic authorities have issued strict instructions to 2,000 shops to maintain hygiene. Chicken farmers have also been advised to keep their farms clean.