Uganda says tests confirm Avian flu in wild terns, domestic birds

Reactivates National Task Force to coordinate the fight against bird flu

Uganda’s government says tests have confirmed that avian flu is responsible for the mass deaths of wild birds on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement Sunday that the species so far hit by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, are migratory white-winged black terns as well as domestic ducks and chickens.

The statement said samples from at least two sites, including a beach on the shores of Lake Victoria, had tested positive for HPAI.

It was not clear which strain of the virus is infecting the birds, including the terns that migrate from Europe to Africa during winter.

The H5N8 strain of the virus, which is harmless to humans, has been spreading in poultry farms in some parts of Europe, including France.

NTF reactivated

Uganda has reactivated the National Task Force (NTF) to coordinate the fight against avian flu that has broken out in the east African country, minister of agriculture said Sunday.

Vincent Ssempijja told reporters that the NTF is composed of human and animal experts from government, and non-governmental organisations, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“The NTF has experience and has competence to handle such outbreaks, and therefore the situation is under control,” Ssempijja said.

He urged the public to report any cases of mass deaths of birds, animal, both domestic and wild to any nearest government authority.

He said bird owners must keep them indoors to avoid them interacting with wild birds and animals and added that people must not touch or eat wild birds or other wild animals that are found dead, but report these instead.

Uganda on Saturday said the avian flu had broken out in the central parts of the country.

Ssempijja said confirmatory tests from a mass death of birds at Lutembe beach on the shores of Lake Victoria turned out positive for avian flu.