By Marie-Therese Nanlong

The Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN in Plateau State, Mr. John Dasar has lamented the increase in the outbreak of Avian Influenza also known as bird flu in the state and urged poultry farmers to take precautionary measures to curb its spread.

The Chairman also cautioned the farmers against taking the flu for granted stressing “the disease is real.’’

Speaking on the issue in Jos yesterday, Dasar stated, “the number of farms and birds affected by the disease in Plateau have now doubled compared to the number recorded last month. “In February we had over 80,000 birds that were affected by the bird flu and 23 farms destroyed but today, over 183,000 birds have been affected by the disease and more than 53 poultry farms destroyed, indicating that the spread of the disease is on the increase.’’

The Chairman warned that there should be no wanton destruction of birds and farms as a result of the outbreak of the disease, as indiscriminate shutting down of farms has also affected economic activities of the state. His words, “The spread of the virus has affected the economy of the state, because most farms are shut down thereby rendering both the farmers and their workers idle.

“Farmers should adhere strictly to the rules of running a poultry farm, especially by ensuring that adequate bio-security measures are taken to avoid further spread.” He however assured farmers that Government and the leadership of PAN at state and federal levels were up and doing to ensure the disease was adequately contained.

Meanwhile, the Desk Officer, Animal Health in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Ayuba Haruna also confirmed that the disease was on the increase in the state,but that “all relevant agencies were on their toes to curtail further spread.”