India has declared itself free from highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 and H5N8) after surveillance in the states showed no evidence of its presence, officials said on Thursday.

"Surveillance was carried out throughout the country and around the areas of the outbreaks since completion of the operation (including culling, disinfection and clean-up), which showed no evidence of presence of Avian Influenza Virus," a Union Agriculture Ministry release said.The Ministry said India had reported outbreaks of the influenza at various epicentres in Delhi, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, Rajpura in Punjab, Hissar in Haryana, Bellary in Karnataka, Allappuzha and Kottayam in Kerala, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Daman and Khordha, and Angul in Odisha between October 2016 and February 2017.

These outbreaks were notified to the World Organization for Animal Health and subsequently, control and containment operations were carried out as per the action plan on preparedness, control and containment of the influenza, said the release.