Lagosians will have to be very careful in the
consumption of poultry products such as chicken and eggs, following the sudden
resurgence of Avian influenza, AI, commonly called bird flu, into the state.
This ugly development has led to the killing
of over 2,000 birds last Friday, in a poultry farm in Badore, Ajah axis of the
state.
According to the World Health Organisation,
WHO, most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans, however some such as
A(H5N1) and A(H7N9), cause serious infections in people.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr.
Gbolahan Lawal, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen alongside his
counterpart in Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said that the name of the poultry farm
would not be disclosed for security reasons, adding that because of the
outbreak of the flu, over 2,000 birds have been depopulated from the farm,
while the entire farm had been quarantined.
Lawal stated that bird samples collected by
the department and sent to the National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom,
Plateau State, had unfortunately been found positive for the H5 strain of the
Avian Influenza popularly known as bird flu.
Idris said there was no cause for alarm and
advised Lagosians to embrace basic hygiene to prevent contracting the disease,
saying that people should ensure that they cook their birds properly before
eating and report cases of mortality in birds in any area to the government.
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