April 13, 2021

Nigeria culls 329,556 chickens in 62 farms due to bird flu

Nigeria said it has culled more than 329,556 chickens in 62 farms due to reports of bird flu outbreaks across the country, Naija News reported.

The latest outbreak of bird flu in Nigeria was first detected on January 29. From January to April 5, about 421,947 chickens were estimated to be infected with the H5N1 virus across eight states in the country.

A Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development source told Naija News that 329,556 chickens on 62 farms were culled.

Dr Adeniran Alabi, Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, said there were no bird flu outbreaks reported in the country for two years before this year.

Alabi called on local farmers to enforce the strictest bio-security measures to prevent the spread of bird flu in the country. He said the ministry has been conducting disinfection measures at live bird markets and working with the Nigerian Center for Disease Control to sample the bird flu virus in those working in poultry farms to further research on the virus.

- Naija News