About 2000 birds have been destroyed at Obuasi in the Ashanti region in the latest case of bird flu outbreak in Ghana.
The Ashanti Regional Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Kofi Kwansah-Filson who confirmed this said it was found at a farm in the Obuasi municipality and assured that the situation has been contained.
He explained that about two weeks ago the disease was detected and the Municipal Chief Executive, Kwasi Ofori Agyeman together with NADMO moved in to quickly destroy an initial 500 birds on the farm.
Samples, he said, were taken to the veterinary laboratory in Kumasi which confirmed the birds were affected with bird flu.
Dr Kwansah-Filson told Graphic Online’s Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Donald Ato Dapatem that when tests proved the existence of the flu at the farm, they moved in and destroyed the other birds numbering 1948.
According to him, the birds started dying on the farm in the middle of June and it was reported on the 17th of June.
Tests for H5N1 on the 18th proved positive, prompting the veterinary officials to kill and dispose of all the remaining 1948 birds on the 19th and 20th of June after which every poultry farm in the municipality was fumigated.
Dr Kwansah-Filson said the regional surveillance response team, which includes the District Chief Executive and NADMO officials, have been placed on red alert.
Cases of bird flu have recently been recorded in Accra, Tema and the Volta Region where about 30,000 birds have been culled as of now.
Source: graphic.com.gh
