Kenya, Rwanda ban poultry from country over bird flu
Kenya and Rwanda have banned poultry products from neighbouring Uganda over bird flu.
The Kenyan and Rwanda governments have banned importation of poultry and poultry products from Uganda after the avian bird flu eas detected
Recommended articles
![Troublemaker removed from a plane (image used for illustrative purpose) [Shutterstock]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Troublemaker removed from a plane (image used for illustrative purpose) [Shutterstock]")
"The government banned importation of poultry and poultry products from Uganda with immediate effect," said Kenya's agriculture cabinet secretary Willy Bett at a press conference.
The move from Nairobi comes two days after Rwanda also blocked poultry imports.
"Rwanda has put in place measures to prevent the disease. We have temporarily halted the import of poultry and poultry products," Christine Kanyandekwe from the country's agricultural department said Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
She said Rwanda imports 50,000 day-old chicks and 100 tonnes of eggs from Uganda per month. Figures for Kenya were not immediately available.
Uganda's agriculture ministry announced Sunday that it had detected avian flu among migratory birds, saying that it had since spread to a few domestic birds.
In both areas where it was detected the birds tested positive for "the highly pathogenic avian influenza that affects both humans and animals and which causes a high number of deaths in both species", the ministry said.
Uganda's acting commissioner in charge of animal health Dr Anna Ademun told AFP the strain was "confirmed to the level of H5."
Uganda has some 40 million chickens, according to agricultural statistics.
ADVERTISEMENT
In 2016, 51 countries declared the outbreak of one of the virulent H5 and H7 strains of bird flu, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). These include H5N1, H5N2, H5N5, H5N6, H5N9, H7N1, H7N3, H7N7 and H7N8.
Europe is battling the spread of H5N1, culling millions of birds on farms and moving them indoors to avoid contagion from infected wildlife.
The strain can be transmitted to humans, and is held responsible for the deaths of several hundred people since 2003.
Japan and Iran have also had to cull hundreds of thousands of birds due to outbreaks of the virus.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Recommended articles
New twist as police detain Yahaya Bello's ADC, security detail for aiding his escape
We’re not stopping - Onakoya extends Guinness World record chess marathon target by 2 hours
'We have done it': Tunde Onakoya reaches 58-hour mark chess marathon
Forgive me my papa - Self-acclaimed Hausa traditional ruler kneels to beg Oba of Benin
Fubara grows Rivers IGR by over 100%, less than 1 year after Wike's tenure
Plateau University suspends exams over killing of student
Nigeria laughing stock of the rest of the world due to insecurity - TY Danjuma
APC group claims Tinubu’s initiatives stimulating economic recovery
Plateau Gov urges calm after attack that led to death of 200-level PLASU student
Pulse Sports
Lionel Messi's son breaks the internet after scoring five goals for Inter Miami
Naija Stars Abroad: Onyedika, Boniface, and Osimhen shine across Europe
Victor Osimhen and Tobi Amusan make list of Forbes’ 30 under 30 Class of 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
![The woman was recorded, among others, while bathing [BI]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "The woman was recorded, among others, while bathing [BI]")