Bird flu hits poultry farms in Ebonyi

 Avian Influenza also known as Bird flu has hit a poultry farm in Ebonyi State causing panic among other farmers and consumers of poultry products.
The disease was detected in a farm in Ugwuachara community located within Abakaliki, the state capital.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Uchenna Orji, confirmed this at the weekend. He directed the ministry to quarantine the area and ensure safe disposal of the birds.
He also directed the Department of Veterinary Services to take stock of all poultry farms and ancillary farms in the state and sustain enlightenment on the disease.
“A sample had been taken to a lavatory and result has shown that this is positive; so what we have done is to create awareness. We went to places we have poultry farms to see what the situation is so that we can avert the spread”, he stated.
The state Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Ibiam Okoro, who led the commissioner to the farm, said the ministry had already mounted surveillance to contain possible spread of the disease.
One of the supervisors on the farm, Mrs Victoria Chukwu, said that sudden massive death of the birds on the farm aroused the suspicion that something could be wrong.
She explained that 274 died within two weeks while another 62 followed a day after.
With the discovery, it is expected that poultry farmers in the state should exercise caution and ensure that poultry products are properly cooked before consumption.