Poultry farmers refute bird flu outbreak in Lagos
Some radio stations in Lagos yesterday reported the new scourge of the dreaded bird disease in some areas and attributed their source to some farmers.
However, in a swift reaction to the news, the National President of the Association, Dr. Ayo Oduntan, confirmed to our correspondent that said the reports were mere figment of the imagination.
According to him, neither the Ministry of Agriculture in the state nor the association had reported any outbreak of bird flu.
Odutan said the birds may be caught by various diseases, which are not bird flu, adding that such disease could only be confirmed in the laboratory as either bird flu or any other disease.
He clarified: “The report is just a rumour because it has not been confirmed yet. There are many diseases that the chicken can be affected with, it is until the Ministry diagnoses those diseases in the laboratory and confirm before we can say this is a particular disease affecting the birds but such has not been done. So, for now, there is nothing like bird flu in Lagos state until it is properly confirmed.”
Some poultry farmers at Oko-Oba area of Agege in Lagos who also spoke with National Mirror denied any knowledge of bird flu in Lagos.
According to them, the report was yet to be confirmed.
The farmers however appealed to the government, if the rumour became founded, to quickly curb its spread before it gets out of hand as they will not like to experience any further loss to the disease which ravaged many farms in the country a few months ago.
It would be recalled that about 14 states across the country were affected early this year with the outbreak of the disease, which claimed millions of chickens
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