The Lagos State Government has
alerted members of the public on the resurgence of bird's flu in the state.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal,Commissioner
for Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the disease was noticed during in a
poultry farm recently in the state.
He said the disease was imported to the State from Northern part of the
country and was traced to a farm at Badore, in Eti-Osa Local Government and
Zoological Park at the Victoria Island where a high mortality rate from the
farm birds was noticed.
He said samples of birds collected by the Veterinary Directorate of the
Ministry from the farm and park was later sent to the Veterinary Research Institute
Vom in Plateau State and was confirmed to have H5 strain of the avian
influenza, popularly known as bird flu in the birds from the farm.
He said the state had moved in to curb the spread of the disease from farm
and the poultry market around the state by actively searching traces through
the surveillance agents at various corners of the state, bio security
monitoring and sensitization of poultry farms handlers and in market places.
Lawal said other control measures taken include disinfection of poultry
markets all over the state, as well as sensitization of poultry farmers and traders
on insurance policy issues concerning their farm and products.
“The state government, through the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperatives has also decontaminated and quarantined the farms
affected. A team of eight technical staff, comprising representatives of the
Federal Livestock Department, National Quarantine Services and the state
national Veterinary Research are currently in the state on disease assessment
and surveillances,” he said.
The Commissioner added that the emergency active disease search carried out
in the state indicated that the disease was not spreading.
