Dozens of chickens killed as bird flu hits Kano

The Gwale Veterinary Clinic on Wednesday confirmed the outbreak of birds flu in Kano, which killed 32 birds in the area.

The officee in-charge of the clinic, Dr Abdullahi Gaya, made the confirmation in an interview with newsmen in Kano.

Gaya said the Index Case of the disease was first observed on December 7, when a young man brought dead guinea fowl to the clinic.

He said after a presumptive diagnosis of the dead bird, its sample was taken to the National Reference Laboratory in Jos where the disease was confirmed.

Gaya said the guinea fowl died alongside several other birds including chickens and ducks which cohabited at his backyard.

The veterinary doctor advised poultry keepers to always isolate birds newly bought from the market for at least two weeks before mixing them with others in their stocks.

He also advised them to always take their birds to the nearest veterinary clinic when they noticed any sickness among them.

Gaya also advised people to avoid touching dead animals so as to avoid getting infected by some diseases they might carry.

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The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf, also confirmed the outbreak of the disease.

Yusuf told journalists that the outbreak started when a young man introduced a duck to his stock, leading to the death of 35 out of 50 birds.

He said the outbreak had prompted the state Ministry of Agriculture to take measures to contain its spread.

To prevent further spread, he said, the state Ministry of Agriculture had sealed the affected area, depopulated the remaining chickens and decontaminated the compound.

The commissioner said the Ministry had also decontaminated the premises where live birds are sold at the Janguza market and educated sellers on the effects of bird flu.

“While the situation is under control, residents, especially poultry rearers have been urged to immediately report any suspected case to the authorities,” he said.