Ekiti State Government has rolled out Poultry Disease Advisory awareness, prevention and control measures to Poultry farmers in the State in a proactive move to prevent the spread of Avian influenza or bird flu to the State.
The development followed the reported outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) commonly known as avian influenza or bird flu in a northern State of the country.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, described the Avian flu as a highly infectious and contagious viral disease of birds caused by virus usually found in wild migratory birds and primarily affect all ages of domestic poultry.
Mr. Boluwade stressed that the Bird flu is a trans-boundary viral zoonotic disease of global importance because of its devastating socio-economic impacts and the potential capacity of the virus to mutate from animals to animal and perhaps to final stage of human pandemic transmission.
Noting that poultry business is most vulnerable, Boluwade stated that the disease usually strikes suddenly without premonitory signs, adding that when it does, it gives clinical signs that reflect abnormalities of respiratory, enteric, reproductory and nervous signs.
He advised poultry farmers to avoid introducing new flock into their farms until further notice, or visit any farm or farms that are suspected to have the disease, stressing the need to adopt biosecurity measures.
The Commissioner highlighted possible preventive actions that poultry farmers should take to keep the disease at bay to include practicing good hygiene by keeping the pen, its environs, feeds and water troughs clean always; adoption of strict measures at acquiring good foundation stock with complementary bio-containment, vaccinations, bio-exclusion and decontamination.
He emphasized the need to protect poultry birds from wild birds, provide feeds and water for flock as much or as often as necessary or desired, report suspected cases of the disease to the nearest Local veterinarian for quick response, administer preventive vaccine and ensure prompt treatment of sick birds as well as ensure separation of sick birds from the healthy ones.
Other preventive measures recommended by the Commissioner are, to always have a green zone in farms that would provide a local framework to protect the environmental and economic health of a community heavily affected by local pollution as well as compulsorily disinfecting and fumigating both pen and housing before and after restocking.
Stressing that early reporting and prompt action are crucial to containing the spread of the disease, Boluwade urged residents to report suspected cases to the nearest regional veterinary officer or the State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security , adding that the Director of Veterinary Services can be reached on telephone number +234 703 069 8478 .
He also cautioned against consumption of sick birds, warning that Illnesses in humans from bird flu virus infections have ranged in severity from no symptoms or mild illness such as eye infection and upper respiratory symptoms to severe disease including pneumonia that may result in death.
