By Muhammad Amaan
Amid growing fear in Kano state about the rumoured outbreak of avian influenza, also known as bird flu, the state government has urged residents to remain calmed and report any suspected case of the disease to the authority concerned.
This was contained in statement issued on Tuesday by the Public Relation Unit of the state’s Ministry of Health, through the Information Officer, Ibrahim Abdullahi.
He said the rumour emanated following a report that sometime in December 2024, a young man from Gwale Local Government Area of the state bought a duck from Janguza market in Tofa LGA and introduced to his stock comprising hens, guinea fowls and chickens.
“Later he noticed that his birds were showing respiratory distress and then there was mortality; out of 50 birds, 35 died. He then decided to bring sample to Gwale veterinary clinic for diagnosis of which in the first week of January 2025, bird flu virus was confirmed on the samples.
“Immediately upon receipt of the result, the state ministry of agriculture proactively sealed the place, depopulated the remaining chickens and decontaminated the compound.
“The ministry also decontaminated the premises of selling live birds in Janguza market and sensitized sellers on the effect of the bird flu,” he said.
The information officer added that the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, had in a press release, urged people of the state to remain calmed as the case is not a worrisome to be declared outbreak.
The commissioner said that the ministry is on top of the issue and taking proactive measures to confront the disease so as to contain its negative effect before it becomes deadly.
Dr Labaran said that due to the fact that bird flu infects human and causes havoc to the body, he converged a meeting with Emergency Preparedness Response and One Health committees comprising ministries of agriculture, environment and water resources as well as partners in order to discuss and strategize ways to confronting the issue.
He stated that, “For now, this was what we have been doing. Meeting would be held every week with the stakeholders, and public would be regularly informed about the issue.
“Surveillance would be intensified in every LGA, especially among poultry and other bird rearers and reports would be sent to these committees on daily basis and inform Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the situation.”
The commissioner explained that symptoms of bird flu include fever, mucous, redness of eyes, etc, urging people especially the poultry rearers to be the first surveillance officers in order to safeguard their flocks and wealth and report unhealthy wellbeing of their birds to relevant authorities for timely action to be taken.
