The Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has confirmed the outbreak of avian influenza, also known as bird flu, in the state.
The Director of Veterinary Services in the ministry, Dr Bello Bala, who made the confirmation on Wednesday, said about 223,695 birds have been depopulated to check the spread.
According to him, the ministry got the report of the index case from a man who brought his ailing backyard bird for diagnosis, adding that when its sample was taken to National Veterinary Research Institute in Jos, Plateau State, it returned positive for avian influenza.
He disclosed that the development prompted the ministry to issue a memo in a bid to revive the state Committee on Avian Influenza, which comprised all stakeholders, including security agencies.
The committee, according to him, swung into action by starting to disinfect farms, live-bird markets in about eight places in the Kano metropolis and other places where poultry activities take place.
The director explained that no fewer than 40 farms were affected, as 40 samples were taken to the National Veterinary Research Institute in Jos, Plateau State for testing.
Mr Bala added that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is ready to compensate the affected people, explaining however that “those that have over 3,000 chickens depopulated would not be compensated.
He said the problem is subsiding as a result of hot whether, calling on poultry farmers to be vigilant and be reporting any suspicious cases to the ministry.
He also cautioned the farmers against taking action without consulting the ministry, noting that “that is why the casualty increases.”
Meanwhile, the Kano state branch of Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria had decried the loss of over N500 million following the outbreak of the disease.
Chairman of the association in Kano, Umar Usman, said they had incurred huge losses with the recent outbreak of the virus.
According to him, no fewer than 223,695 chicken were confirmed affected and depopulated, noting that each of the chicken costs not less than N1,800 and the amount of the loss is over N402 million.
Mr Usman added that apart from the confirmed number of chicken affected, which costs over N402 million, there are hundred of thousands that are yet to be confirmed, stressing that the amount of money loss could be over N500 million.
He appealed to government to come to their aid over the loss.
