The Veterinary Department in the Bono Region has destroyed 24,803 birds and 973 crates of eggs, following the outbreak of the Avian Influenza in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region.
Three poultry farms in the municipality have so far been hit by influenza since January 13, but the Veterinary Services say it had upscaled measures to control the outbreak in the region.
Dr Donald Joachim Darko, the Bono Regional Director of the Veterinary Services Department, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Fiapre near Sunyani that the Service had engaged the Police to protect the affected farms from encroachment to prevent further spread.
The Regional Director earlier conducted Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister, round the affected farms at Fiapre, Kobedi, and Berlin to ascertain the level of infection.
They were accompanied by Dr Kofi Amo-Kodieh, the Bono Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), and Mr Dennis Abugri Amenga, the Bono Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
Dr Darko indicated that though 2,000 additional birds had been killed at another farm in the municipality, the service was yet to confirm whether it was avian influenza, saying all the affected farms had been disinfected as well.
He said all the poultry farmers in the region had also been sensitised about influenza and expressed the hope that with support from all stakeholders, the outbreak would be brought under control.
On her part, Madam Owusu-Banahene commended the Veterinary Services, the GHS, and MoFA, as well as security agencies for their prompt response to the outbreak.
She advised the affected farmers whom she added had been provided with psychologists to remain calm, saying the government would support them to continue with the poultry business, saying, “We understand the outbreak has contributed to job losses and serious economic hardships.”
Madam Owusu-Banahene urged the general public, particularly poultry farmers in the region to remain vigilant and report any cases of abnormalities they might detect at their farms to the Veterinary Services.
The Regional Minister said she was shocked about the level of the outbreak and the devastating effects, and asked the affected farmers to have comfort in God as the government worked out plans to support them.
Mr Kwame Appiah, one of the affected farmers, told the GNA he had lost everything, and appealed to the government to support them quickly to enable them fend for themselves and their families.
