Bird flu hits Plateau

The Plateau State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Linda Barau, has confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in the state.

She also revealed that four farms had been affected while thousands of birds had already been isolated.

Barau told our correspondent that efforts were being intensified to ensure that the disease did not spread to other farms in the state.

She added that farmers had been advised to put measures in place to avoid the spread of the disease.

The commissioner said that she had told the state’s department of veterinary services to liaise with farmers and advise them not to panic as the situation was under control.

She said, “The state has been informed of the outbreak of the avian influenza. Already, we have identified four farms and all the birds have been quarantined to avoid the spread of the disease.

“We have taken steps to ensure that it does not spread. We also advise farmers to maintain a high sense of biosecurity. All veterinary officers have been placed on red alert to avoid the possibility of the disease spreading to other farms.”