Oyo Shuts Down NPG Hatchery Over Suspected Avian Flu
Oyo State Government has shut down the hatchery of NPG factory over a suspected case of Avian flu (bird flu).
According to the Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Agriculture, Professor Segun Adekunle, the decision was taken as a result of the spread of the virus at NPG main factory in Egbeda area of Ogun State, with the Oluyole farm as hatchery.
Obviously acting on a hint by the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture on September 6, 2017, 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.
Adekunle said the factory was only shut to protect unsuspecting chick buyers from spreading the virus, since the laboratory result revealed that the viruses were discovered in the samples taken.
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.
He had on Sunday said, “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 Area of the state, the NPG factory was visited yesterday with the Avian Flu desk and 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.