The Lagos State Government has alerted members of the public on the resurgence of bird flu in the state.
Gbolahan Lawal, Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the disease was imported into the state from the Northern part of the country and was traced to a farm at Badore, in Eti-Osa Local Government and Zoological Park at Victoria Island, Lagos where a high mortality rate from the farm birds was noticed.
Lawal said samples of birds collected by the Veterinary Directorate of the Ministry from the farm and park was later sent to the Veterinary Research Institute, Vom in Plateau State and was confirmed to have H5 strain of the avian influenza, popularly known as bird flu.
“The state had moved in to curb the spread of the disease from farm and the poultry market around the state by actively searching traces through the surveillance agents at various corners of the state, bio security monitoring and sensitization of poultry farms handlers and in market places,” the Agriculture commissioner said.
Lawal said other control measures taken include disinfection of poultry markets all over the state, as well as sensitization of poultry farmers and traders on insurance policy issues concerning their farm and products.
“The state government, through the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has also de-contaminated and quarantined the farms affected. A team of eight technical staff, comprising representatives of the Federal Livestock Department, National Quarantine Services and the state national Veterinary Research are currently in the state on disease assessment and surveillances,” he said.
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