Bird Flu Ourbreak now in Port Harcourt

 

Rivers State Government has confirmed an outbreak of H5 Strain of Avian Influenza virus in a poultry farm in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

State Commissioner of Agriculture, Emma Chinda, who revealed this yesterday, explained that the birds at the undisclosed farm and others nearby have been stamped out according to international best practices.

Chinda explained that the government had received a report at the weekend that some birds had died in a poultry and that the circumstances rounding their death was suggestive of a possible case of Avian Influenza virus. Based on this information, he said officials of the ministry were dispatched to the farm where samples were collected for investigation.

He stated that the samples forwarded to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), and the result proved positive for H5 Strain of Avian Influenza virus.

Chinda said his ministry has already taken steps to contain the spread of the deadly virus, by first quarantining the infected farm.