The Plateau State Avian Influenza Desk Officer, Dr. Huruna Ayuba, says the state government has closed 59 poultry farms affected by avian influenza, also known as bird flu, and killed 175,000 birds affected by the disease.
Ayuba told the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, that the disease was most prevalent in Bassa, Jos North, Jos South and Jos East local government council areas of the state.
The desk officer alleged that the disease had to spread to these council areas because those farmers whose farms were affected since 2014 had not been paid compensation for the birds killed then.
Ayuba said most farmers were still not complying with the proper bio-security measures, adding that this had increased the rate at which the disease was spreading.
He said: “One of the major reasons for the continuous spread of the disease is the non- payment of compensation to affected farmers because they don’t report outbreaks to us anymore.
“Farmers prefer to sell their sick birds to desperate marketers at any amount instead of reporting to us and waiting on government who will promise and fail.
“Though it is not within our purview in the state to pay compensation, I think the Federal Government needs to make a definite statement on this issue so as to forestall further spread of the disease.”
Ayuba, however, said that in the last two weeks, no case was recorded in the state.
He said this was an indication that the spread of the disease was being contained.
He called on poultry farmers to save the future of the poultry industry by reporting promptly any outbreak and should ensure that movements from one farm to the other were regulated to reduce the spread.
Ayuba urged the farmers to desist from indiscriminate sales of infected birds to desperate marketers.
NAN.
Bird flu: Plateau culls 175,000 birds, closes 59 farms
By NAN
