April 19, 2013

After Newcastle disease has forced a number of Libyan chicken farms to close, Libya's chicken prices has shot up.

The farms will remain closed for some two months until they have been thoroughly cleansed and sterilised, a spokesperson from the media office at the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday (Apr 17).

Newcastle Disease is highly contagious amongst birds, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). "When the virus is introduced into a susceptible flock, virtually all the birds will be infected within two to six days," the OIE said. Newcastle Disease is not related to the H7N9 strain of bird flu that is currently spreading through China.

The Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson said that the disease is not transmissible to humans. However, according to the OIE, Newcastle Disease can infect humans in rare cases, leading to mild conjunctivitis and flu-like symptoms.

The Ministry of Agriculture has set up a crisis committee, its press office said, "and necessary measures are being taken to control the outbreak."