The outbreak of the Avian Influenza Virus
(bird flu) about a week ago has posed a great threat to many Nigerians
especially poultry farmers. The virus which is primarily a disease of
poultry, causing great economic losses to poultry farmers has killed
many live birds markets and destroyed lots of poultry farms in time
past.
Couple of days ago, the Federal
Government through the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development,
Adewunmi Adesina, announced at a news conference in Abuja, that seven
states have so far reported the bird flu. They are Kano, Lagos, Ogun,
Delta, Rivers, Edo and Plateau states.
The minister, who noted that there had
been unusual mortality rate in two poultry farms and five bird markets
in Lagos and Kano states, said 140,390 birds have been associated with
bird flu exposure, with 22,573 (16 per cent) mortality recorded.
Meanwhile, Adesina said till date, 21
commercial farms, nine live bird markets and one private zoo have been
affected in the seven states.
In Ogun State, it was reported that two
locations are under watch, with one case positive and another negative,
while the 1,030 birds currently under watch in the two locations, 163
(15 per cent) experienced mortality.
It was on that note that the
administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State took urgent
steps to put in place necessary measures to contain the disease and to
ensure that poultry farmers in the state do not suffer untold hardship
due to the outbreak of the virus.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture,
Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, in a press briefing said samples taken from Sango,
Sagamu and Ifo live birds markets, tested positive to the highly
pathogenic Avian Influenza, otherwise known as HsN1 or bird flu. Another
poultry farm on Obalende-Ikangba road in the Odogbolu Local Government
Area of the state also tested positive.
All these affected poultry farms
notwithstanding, the state government had taken adequate measures that
would ensure the protection of public health and safety of the citizens.
Furthermore, Ogun State Government also
reactivated the emergency preparedness plan for the control and
containment of the virus by procuring disinfectants and transportation
logistics, while its officers have been able to contain the disease at
the three markets where the virus had been discovered.
Also, efforts are in top gear to look out
for more of such outbreaks through the surveillance system of the
veterinary department of the state Ministry of Agriculture which
implements disease containment measures of the state.
More so, Ogun State Government is working
closely with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the
Veterinary Research Institute, collaborating with the Poultry
Association of Nigeria, Ogun State branch, the Federal Ministry of
Health amongst others.
It’s also necessary to note that, the
Chairman Poultry Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter led by Dr.
Olalekan Odunsi, said the association had held stakeholders’ meeting on
ways to contain the virus.
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