Tema Records 3rd Bird Flu Case

THE TEMA Municipality has, within one week, recorded the third outbreak of avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu at a poultry farm. The disease that killed a number of birds might have spread from a nearby poultry farm to the poultry farm at Adjei Kojo near Ashaiman.

About 12,000 birds, 323 crates of eggs and 375 kilogrammes of feed have therefore been destroyed at the farm.

Dr. Darlington Owusu, Head of the Avian Influenza Surveillance team disclosed this to journalists in Tema on Tuesday.

He however gave the assurance that the team would work hard to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the country.

Dr. Owusu advised poultry farmers to ensure they fed their birds with uncontaminated feed and cooperated with the team in its efforts at preventing the spread of the disease.

He advised Ghanaians against eating dead birds and urged that poultry products be boiled for a long period, to destroy any possible virus.

Dr. Owusu advised also that strange deaths among birds should be reported to the Veterinary Services Department.

Government, he said, was paying compensation of between 50 and 90 per cent of the market value of birds, eggs and other items destroyed upon detection of the disease, to affected poultry farmers.
GNA