Chicken flu scare: Rivers to commence livestock vaccination

The Rivers Enlighten Executive acknowledged it will originate a one-week vaccination of livestock across the 23 local authorities areas of the issue following suspected conditions of anthrax disease, popularly steadily called rooster flu.

The Enlighten Commissioner for Agriculture, Victor Kii, disclosed this in a press unlock issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday and sent to newsmen.

Recall that the Commissioner, in a press unlock on January 21st, confirmed a suspected outbreak of the disease in a 3000-capacity poultry farm in Iriebe, Obio/Akpor local authorities of the issue, whereby the unbiased turned into ‘quarantined’, the affected birds ‘depopulated’ and premises decontaminated.

Kii outlined that the vaccination is aimed at combating any Anthrax disease in the issue, pointing out that the Enlighten Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has already current the campaign.

The statement reads, “The Rivers Enlighten Ministry of Agriculture is to embark on a issue-wide vaccination of livestock in Rivers Enlighten from February 10 to February 17 across the issue following the latest outbreak of anthrax disease in Zamfara Enlighten.

“In accordance with Governor Siminalaiyi Fubara’s coverage on food safety and food safety in Rivers Enlighten, His Excellency has directed and current the flag-off of a statewide vaccination campaign to forestall any case of Anthrax disease in the issue.

“Right here is consequent on the fact that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has no longer too long in the past confirmed a plague of Anthrax disease in a blended livestock farm in Niger Enlighten and Zamfara Enlighten.

“The Enlighten Ministry of Agriculture is to straight away implement the vaccination sigh of all livestock farms in the issue and to advise the public about this building.”

While noting that Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that affects animals and humans and might possibly well well even be unfold thru tell contact, consumption of infected meat or merchandise, or inhalation of spores, the ministry acknowledged the twin needs of food safety and safety is a shared responsibility, and all livestock farmers in the issue must collaborate with the veterinary medical doctors of the Ministry of Agriculture for the vaccination.

It added, “The Ministry of Agriculture, amongst other issues, is working carefully with connected stakeholders to be particular the outbreak is averted from the borders of Rivers Enlighten.

“The final public, especially livestock farmers occupied with the rearing and sale of sheep, goats, pigs, cows, etc., are invited to rob profit of this vaccination by guaranteeing that the livestock on their farms are vaccinated with the anthrax Spores vaccines offered in all 23 LGAs of Rivers Enlighten.”

Kii urged the farmers to pay shut consideration to the signs of animals, which encompass high fever, weakness, bleeding from body openings, and inconvenience respiratory.

The commissioner extra urged the stylish public to sigh caution when procuring for animals by staring at livestock for signs of illness sooner than slaughter, warding off contact with meat or animal by-merchandise from ailing or unimaginative animals, and reporting any incidence of sudden loss of life of animals to the Ministry of Agriculture and the veterinary division.

“While we enjoin all to sigh caution, we moreover quiz reporting of any suspected conditions of Anthrax to the Enlighten Ministry of Agriculture,” he added.