By Dipo Olowookere
Oyo State government has shut down a hatchery of NPG factory located at Oluyole area of the state, over a suspected case of Avian flu commonly known as bird flu.
The decision, conveyed by the Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Agriculture, Professor Segun Adekunle, on Sunday, followed the spread of the virus at NPG main factory in Egbeda area of Ogun state, with the Oluyole farm as hatchery.
Acting on a hint by the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture on September 6, 2017, Mr Adekunle had on Saturday led a team of officials from the Avian flu office, Ibadan, to the factory where samples of day-old chicks were taken to a lab in Plateau state, for diagnosis.
With the results to reveal the virus threat status in the state to be released on Monday, Mr Adekunle said the factory was only shut to protect unsuspecting chicks’ buyers from spreading the virus.
He urged residents of the state not to fret about the spread of bird flu, noting that the state government would only activate other containment measures based on the screening result.
“We got the hint from the Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture that there was the outbreak of Avian influenza at NPG factory in Egbeda area of the state. Knowing that the NPG factory has its factory in Oluyole local government, the NPG factory was visited on Saturday with the Avian Flu desk, the Police among other concerned agencies.
“The Agric team with the Avian flu Desk office took samples of day old chicks and chicken at the factory to Vom in Jos, for laboratory tests, for confirmation and severity of the virus strain, H5N8. The Lab at Vom, Jos, which is a federal government facility, will diagnose, screen and determine its threat status. They promised to release the results tomorrow (Monday).
“Meanwhile, the hatchery has been shut from doing any business until; we get the results of the diagnosis. However, residents of the state should remain calm and not fear that there is an outbreak of epidemic in the state. The result will determine other containment measures to take,” he said.
Bird flu is a viral infection spread from bird to bird, with H5N1 and H5N8 renowned as a highly pathogenic Avian influenza.
Adedapo Adesanya