Yusha'u A. Ibrahim
3 August 2008
Kano — The resurfacing of the Avian Influenza disease in Kano state eight months after the deadly disease was put under control has thrown poultry farmers in the state into a state of panic.
The deadly disease, according to a statement from the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (APAN), Kano state chapter, which was signed by its chairman, Alhaji M.D Abubakar, was detected recently in a farm in Fagen-Kawo village of Dawakin Tofa local government, 30 kilometres away from the state capital.
According the APAN chairman, the disease was confirmed by a laboratory test at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, near Jos, a situation which, he said, had led to depopulating and disinfecting the affected farm and other farms in the area with a view to preventing further spread of the disease.
This was the first time since October, 2007 that the disease was rearing its head in the state and the whole of northern Nigeria. Incidentally, the last time bird flu was experienced in the state was in the same town, Dawakin Tofa.
The APAN Chairman called on poultry farmers in the state to be wary, urging them to report any symptom they noticed on their farms to the appropriate authorities for urgent action. He added that adequate arrangements to address the issue in all the 44 local governments of the state had been put in place.
The outbreak of Avian Influenza was first experienced in the country in February 2006 when it spread to 97 local governments in 25 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. In Kano state, about 30 farms were said to be infected by the deadly disease during the first experience.
It was reported that during the February incident, thousands of chickens and other birds were killed in the state as part of measures to prevent further spread of the disease. According to the former chairman of APAN in Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Aminu, over 16,000 chickens were killed on just nine farms that were infected by the bird flu in Kano .
It had been confirmed also that the last outbreak reported in the country was on October 6, 2007 in Nsugbe area of Anambra state, where some farms across the country were affected by the disease, killing dozens of thousands of birds.
Pyramid Trust findings revealed that the state government had summoned a meeting with stakeholders, including poultry farmers, with a view to map out modalities for addressing the situation before it was too late.
Sources close to the state Ministry of Agriculture told our correspondent that critical issues related to the disease had been discussed at the meeting, in addition to the passionate call to farmers to be vigilant and security cautious.
However, the state government had warned the general public, particularly the people of Fagen-Kawo communities, against purchasing cheap poultry products as they stood the chance of being infected.
Last year, both federal and state governments paid compensation to affected farmers with a view to alleviating the hardships caused by the disastrous outbreak.
The Kano state office of the Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness Project (AICP) had swung into action to control the recent outbreak.
According a press statement from the AICP Kano office signed by the project communication desk officer, Alhaji Surajo Ibrahim Gaya, and made available to Pyramid Trust, immediate action had been adopted by the AICP to put the outbreak of the disease under control.
Pyramid Trust findings at Fagen-Kawo village in Dawakin-Tofa local government indicated that the affected farm had been depopulated and disinfected by an expert team led by the state project desk officer, Animal Health Component, Dr Sarki B. Muhammad, who visited the farm shortly after the pronouncement of the outbreak of the disease.
This, according to investigation carried out by our correspondent, was in addition to the detailed epidemiological investigation that was on just to trace the source of the unfortunate outbreak with a view to addressing the situation before it was too late.
A combined team of experts set up by the federal government led by Professor P.A. Abdul in company of officers from AICP, Abuja , NVRI, Vom and Kano AICP officials had already visited the affected farm in Fagen-Kawo in Dawakin-Tofa and some live bird markets in the state.
Our correspondent further learned that blood samples from various birds had been taken by the combined team for analysis at the NVRI.
Meanwhile, the state communication component office of the AICP in the state had embarked on a rigorous sensitisation campaign on hygienic practices for avian influenza prevention at Fagen-Kawo of Dawakin-Tofa where the outbreak of the disease first emerged this year.
Some communities of the area who spoke to Pyramid Trust expressed shock when the announcement of the outbreak was made.
Malam Ibrahim Danladi told Pyramid Trust that they had been warned to desist from eating chickens that were burnt by experts during their inspection to the affected farm, saying that although last year they had eaten some, this year they would not eat any for their own safety.
Danladi stated that: "Some government officials have visited us and organised an interactive session with us at the village head's house where they warned us against using any chicken that was destroyed in the process of preventing the disease from spreading to other farms".
He expressed delight over the quick intervention of government, noting that "If not for that, we would have eaten the infected chickens. The sensitisation campaign carried out by government officials has greatly helped matters".
However, according to a statement from the office of AICP, Kano, the avian influenza disease was also detected in Kadarko quarters of Katsina local government. Pyramid Trust learned that the same federal government team had visited the farm and appropriate measures had been taken to put the situation under total control.
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