The Veterinary Service Department has allayed fears that the outbreak of bird flu in Nigeria is likely to be imported into Ghana.
The service has assured that there are systems in place to check the influx of birds from Nigeria and also to sensitize poultry farmers on preventive measures.
[contextly_sidebar id=”paNKaFXaeX6tAoAJNiWSHW5p9123p9CL”]However, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture says it may ban importation of poultry products from Nigeria following reported cases of bird flu there.
Veterinary authorities in Nigeria have reported a severe outbreak of the disease in about eight states in Nigeria.
Reports from the country’s Ministry of Agriculture also suggest that over 140,000 birds may have been exposed to the deadly disease.
Speaking to Citi News, a Deputy Director of the Veterinary Services Department, Dr. Kenneth Gbeddy said the service is adequately prepared for any outbreak of the bird flu in the country.
He said to prevent bird flu from entering the country, “the important thing is to be on the lookout at the borders” which are have done.
He said “In the case of domestic poultry and poultry products we are on the lookout at the points of entry into the country so that we check out the movement of those products.”
He said Ghana in the past recorded such outbreak, most farmers in the country received a number of training adding that we’ve sensitized them to be on the lookout for unusual signs of such a disease in their flock and something we call bio-security and most of the poultry farmers around the country have been sensitized.”
He said they have also told poultry farmers in the country to “prevent foreign or wild birds into their poultry pens because those are the agents that are likely to carry the virus into their flocks.”
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin