Ghana confirms bird flu

The Ghanaian government has confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in the Greater Accra Region and has said critical measures were being taken to contain the spread of the virus.

Following the preliminary confirmation by a local facility, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research of the presence of the virus in some dead birds in some poultry farms in Accra, samples were sent to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for further tests.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture Mr Fifi Kwetey told journalists yesterday that the result from the laboratory in Italy had established the outbreak of bird flu in four poultry farms in Accra and Tema, both in the Greater Accra Region.

The minister said the virus had been confirmed in birds, but he was uncertain of the extent of the spread of the virus in the country.

“We do not know how much further it may have spread, but we do know the most effective way to fight the virus is through robust collaboration of the public and our veterinary services. The sooner they are notified of a potential instance of avian influenza the sooner they can respond, which gives the virus less of a chance to spread,” he declared.

The minister said restriction on the movement of poultry products in the country has been imposed until it was certain that the virus had been contained.

Allaying fears of the likely spread of the disease, the minister said all poultry products, including eggs, feeds and other materials in the affected farms were all destroyed after the initial laboratory report from the local Research Institute.

He said all the affected farms had been disinfected by their medical team, while all the poultry workers had been screened including, the surveillance of other parts of the country.

Kwetey advised poultry farmers and the general public to be vigilant and report instances of sick poultry and unusual death of poultry to the veterinary services or the nearest Ministry of Food and Agriculture office.