40,000 poultry birds risk contracting Bird Flu

Over 40,000 poultry birds are at a risk of contracting the Bird Flu disease the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has hinted.

According to the Ministry, a total of 36 locations recorded outbreaks last year, with over 76,000 birds destroyed in order to contain the spread of the disease and another 26,000 birds died naturally from the disease.

The Ministry revealed that a total of 26,000 birds have so far been destroyed, 10,000 natural death from the disease and 13 outbreak sites this year.

A Ghanaian Consultant of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Dr William Amanfu ascribed the spread of the disease to the behaviours of poultry farmers, despite government’s interventions. He made this known at a workshop organised by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to deepen the engagement of the media in reporting accurately and promoting poultry industry about Bird Flu.

“The bird flu is persistent in some areas because a lot of our behaviours haven’t changed, despite repeated appeals and talks, seminars and workshops. So they go to farms and collect things and do contrary to everything that we say here,” he said.

A Specialist at the Veterinary Services Department in Accra, Dr Anthony Akunzule, has however assured the public that poultry birds available on the markets are wholesome due to the ban of movement which was placed on infected birds.

Background

The Veterinary Services Department has destroyed 250 poultry birds over suspected bird flu infection at New Takoradi, a suburb of Tarkwa, in the Western Region.

A team of veterinary and environmental officials, at the weekend destroyed about 250 birds, eight crates of eggs, four bags of poultry feed and empty egg crates suspected to have infected with the disease, the GNA reported.

Investigations have begun to establish the source of the infection.

In January, government released GHc11 million to support the fight against bird flu in the country.

Speaking at the forum, Dr Bissiw said her Ministry has supplied 22 vehicles and 120 motorbikes to control the disease.

The government of Ghana through the Ministry of Agriculture has supplied 22 vehicles and 120 motorbikes for the control of the avian influenza. Government has also released GHc11 million to support the fight against the disease. Government of Ghana paid compensation to 25 affected poultry farmers an amount of GHc1,067,365 representing 90% of the total current market value of GHc1, 185,928,” she said.

Dr. Bissiw added “Since the first outbreak of Bird Flu in May 2015 the government of Ghana and its development partners such as Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations, the World Bank, UNC and UNICEF and we’ve also found out that USAID has also been very supportive.”

Five regions have so far been affected by the bird flu with Greater Accra recording the highest cases