Taraba Gov. Restricts Movement of Birds from One Community to Another
By Admin
Taraba State has reported an outbreak of Avian Influenza Virus, popularly known as bird flu, in parts of Wukari Local Government Area of the state. The state government, in a press briefing addressed by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Namessan, on Saturday, said it had received a report about the sudden death of a large number of birds in the Jibu community of the LGA.
Namessan, represented by the Director of Veterinary Services in the ministry, Dr. Francis Nathan, said a rapid assessment team was immediately deployed, and samples were collected for laboratory analysis, he stated that the samples tested positive for bird flu on October 29th.
He added that the government had activated rapid response teams and imposed an immediate ban on the movement of birds and poultry products in and out of the Jibu, Kakari, and Yamini axis to prevent further spread of the virus.
The commissioner also announced the temporary shutdown of live-bird markets in Doruwa, Bantaje, and Yamini. Nathan warned that the virus is zoonotic and poses a potential risk to humans, advising residents in affected areas to suspend consumption of poultry products until further notice.
The commissioner further urged poultry farmers to strengthen biosecurity and called on the public to promptly report any sudden deaths of birds to the nearest veterinary clinic. Nathan appealed to development partners and relevant stakeholders to support the state's efforts to contain the outbreak.
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VETERINARY CARE