MoFA takes measures to contain bird flu
Officials of the Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) last Thursday destroyed about 18,000 birds at a farm at Kpone, near Tema, on suspicion of an H1N1 Avian influenza infection.
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Owners and employees of the farm have subsequently been quarantined to enable officials of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to conduct tests on them.
Avian influenza (AI), commonly called bird flu, is an infectious viral disease in birds that can sometimes spread to domestic poultry and humans.
Open-air markets where eggs and birds are sold in crowded and insanitary conditions have also been identified as hotbeds of infection.
The Head of the Epidemiology Department, Dr Paul Polkuu, who confirmed the latest outbreak to the Daily Graphic, indicated that initial laboratory tests conducted on the farm proved positive for the influenza.
He, however, said controls and disinfection measures had been put in place to curtail the spread of the virus.
“For now, it is only one farm, and our hope is to be able to restrict infection to ensure it does not spread to other farms in the community and beyond,” he stressed.
Vaccination
The Head of the Public Health Unit of the ministry, Dr Bashiru Boi Kikimoto, also stated that following the latest outbreak, officials had put in place a monitoring mechanism at all poultry farms in the Greater Accra Region.
He said a vaccination exercise would be conducted on farms within the community, since vaccination could be a powerful tool to increase resistance to the outbreak.
Previous outbreak
About 44,144 birds and eggs belonging to 25 poultry farmers were destroyed this year by the government in a bid to contain the outbreak of the disease which hit some poultry farms in April this year.
Following the destruction, the government paid GH¢1,067,355 in compensation to the affected farmers last September.