Bird Flu, over 2000 birds destroyed

More than 2,000 birds, infected with Bird Flu, from various poultry farms and communities in the Upper East Region have been destroyed by the Veterinary Services Department.

Dr Henry Nii Ayi Anang, the Regional Officer in Charge of the Veterinary Services Department, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, said the Region first recorded six cases of the disease at Zaare, a suburb of Bolgatanga and later confirmed more cases in different communities.

He said samples were taken for the test from Soe in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Widnaba in the Bawku West, Balungu in the Talensi District and Navrongo, in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, all tested positive of Bird Flu.

He said at communities where there were poultry farms, the department was able to depopulate the birds on the farms, destroyed them and disinfected the areas, however, due to the movement of fowls’ traders to various markets in different districts, it became a challenge to monitor their activities and forestall the spread of the disease, he added.

Dr Anang, therefore, warned that the disease had found itself in local fowls and guinea fowls and cautioned the general public to desist from purchasing birds sold at cheap prices.

He said even though the Veterinary office in January placed a ban on the movement of birds within and outside the region, some traders in fowls and guinea fowls from different market localities were not heeding well to the ban.

To curb the further spread of the disease, he said the department had embarked on intensive sensitization in the marketplaces and districts, to create more awareness of the disease.

“Some of the poultry farmers were from the onset not reporting the outbreak of the disease because they thought it was the annual Newcastle disease while others did not want to risk having their farms destroyed”, he said.

He also urged the farmers not to dispose of carcasses of birds in the open as other birds and dogs may feed on it and also spread the disease.

“When a bird dies, do not use bare hands to pick or touch, rather bury all carcasses because the disease affects humans”, Dr Anang reiterated.