Bird Flu hits Kano, few days after it was reported in Lagos

Just a few days after Bird Flu otherwise known as Avian Flu was reported in Lagos, the outbreak of the disease which is fatal to birds has been announced in Kano.
Kano, a city northwest of Nigeria, is the second most populated state in the country with Lagos as the most populated.
The outbreak of the disease was announced in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to the statement, there have been increasing number of poultry in poultry farms and live bird markets in the two states.
The ministry said that the bird’s blood samples forwarded to the National Veterinary Research Institute tested positive for H5 Strain of Avian Influenza virus.
It added that another confirmatory samples were sent to the International Reference Laboratory in Padova, Italy for further characterisation.
The ministry said measures have been put in place to contain the spread of the deadly virus as the poultries and market where the disease was first identified has been quarantined.
“All state Directors of Veterinary Services and the Federal Capital Territory, Poultry Association of Nigeria and other stakeholders have been informed and advised to be on alert with intensified bio-security measures to avert possible spread of the disease to other states.
“The World Organisation for Animal Health and Inter Africuan Bureau for Animal Resource and development partners have been appropriately notified in compliance with our statutory international obligations,” the ministry said.