Bird flu: Culling of birds begins in two districts of Kerala
Alappuzha/Kottayam: Culling of chickens and ducks began on Tuesday in parts of two districts in Kerala to contain H5N8 strain of bird flu there, official sources said.
Rapid response teams, set up by the administration, began culling ducks, hens and other domestic birds in and around a one km radius of the affected areas in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts on Tuesday morning as per the guidelines issued by the government, they said.
The operation was launched a day after results of the samples tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal confirmed the outbreak of the bird flu in the two districts.
Alappuzha district authorities said culling of birds in four panchayats of Nedumudi, Thakazhy, Pallippad and Karuvatta in Kuttanad region, where the outbreak has been reported, was expected to be completed by Wednesday evening.
In Karuvatta panchayat alone, around 12,000 birds will be culled, an official said.
In the affected areas of Neendoor panchayat in Kottayam district, the rapid response teams have culled some 3,000 birds so far, authorities said.
Around 1,700 ducks had died in a farm in Neendoor due to the viral infection.
Officials have said around 40,000 domestic birds, including 34,000 in Kuttanad region alone, will be culled to check the spread of the H5N8 virus.
Although the situation has been brought under control, authorities have sounded a high alert in the districts, considering the potential of the virus to infect humans.
The Alappuzha District Collector has banned the use and trade of meat, eggs and waste of domestic birds, including ducks and chicken, in Kuttanad and Karthikappalli Taluks, officials said.
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Fake UK Doctor Impersonator accused of killing 7 patients in Madhya Pradesh
Impersonator was once exposed by Mohammed Zubair
Damoh, Madhya Pradesh – A shocking case of medical fraud has come to light in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, where a man posing as a UK-based cardiologist allegedly performed fatal heart surgeries on unsuspecting patients. The accused, identified as Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, is accused of faking the identity of British doctor Prof. N John Camm (also spelt by him as "Kem") and taking up employment at a Christian missionary hospital in Damoh.
According to news agency ANI, Yadav conducted several heart surgeries at the hospital without holding any valid medical qualifications. So far, at least seven deaths have been officially linked to his fake procedures, but local authorities and activists fear the real toll could be significantly higher.
This is not the first time Yadav's impersonation of the UK-based doctor has raised red flags. In July 2023, fact-checker and Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair had exposed a Twitter (now X) account that was spreading communal misinformation using the name and photo of “Prof. N John Camm,” a respected British cardiologist. Zubair’s investigation revealed that the individual behind the account was actually Narendra Yadav.
The impersonator had gained attention after making bizarre posts such as urging UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to be sent to France to quell riots—clearly attempting to gain traction through politically charged content. Zubair had shared detailed posts linking Yadav’s social media accounts to older fraud and impersonation cases, but despite public exposure, Yadav continued to operate unchecked.
The real Professor John Camm, emeritus professor of cardiology at St George's University in London, had also clarified that someone was misusing his identity online. The matter even led to legal threats against Zubair, as the impersonator attempted to defend his false identity.
This week, fresh revelations have linked Yadav to at least seven patient deaths at the Christ Missionary Hospital in Damoh. Advocate and district child welfare committee president Deepak Tiwari has alleged that the actual death toll might be much higher, as several cases may not have been reported officially.
Tiwari said, “Some patients who did not die came to us and told us about the incident… They had taken their father to the hospital. The guy was ready to operate, but they were apprehensive, so they took their father to Jabalpur. We then learned that this fake doctor was working at the hospital.”
He also added that Yadav has an older criminal case against him in Hyderabad and had failed to submit any valid ID documents at the hospital.
The controversy deepened after it was revealed that the missionary hospital where Yadav was operating receives government funds under the Ayushman Bharat health scheme.
Priyanka Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), confirmed that they had received a complaint about a fake doctor performing surgeries at a government-aided facility. She stated, “We were told that the hospital is associated with the Ayushman Bharat scheme and taking government money. This is a serious matter. We’ve taken cognisance and launched an investigation.”
Narendra Yadav’s ability to continue impersonating a foreign cardiologist, despite prior public exposure, points to serious lapses in verification and background checks—especially in hospitals receiving government support. What began as a social media impersonation case, flagged in 2023, has now turned into a criminal medical malpractice incident, potentially involving multiple deaths.
I was trolled and abused when I exposed him im 2023. Several right wing trolls supported him and fell for his Natuonalist tweets.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 5, 2025
Now, Prof N John Camm, posed as UK-based cardiologist, forged documents to pass off as a UK-based cardiologist and conducted heart surgeries at the… pic.twitter.com/BvJOFr41jL
Prof N John Camm ji tweeted that he sent a legal Notice. He wants € 10,00,000 as compensation. Claims he is not same as Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 3, 2023
A little background 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/fHRkTLx0ul
