Veterinary officers trained to fight bird flu

Veterinary officers in the Volta Region have attended a training workshop in Ho on how to fight the Avian Influenza disease, also known as bird flu, which has become a threat in some parts of the country.

Fifty-three officers received training on Avian Influenza, depopulation, biosecurity and disposal of dead birds.

According to the Regional Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Kofi Tetteh, parts of the region had already experienced the disease in recent times, leading to the destruction of two farms at Denu and Keta, but the situation had been put under control.

‘No bird flu in Volta Region’

Although currently there is no case of bird flu in the region, Dr Tetteh said the training was important because they needed to be prepared for a future outbreak.

According to him, the disease was highly contagious and, therefore, certain strategies ought to be put in place to fight it.
Dr Tetteh mentioned that although live bird markets had been banned since the outbreak of the disease, a number of them were still operating in the region.

Lack of Logistics

He said it had been very difficult monitoring these markets because of the lack of resources and logistics. He indicated that the region also lacked personnel to do the work, including monitoring farms to ensure that safety measures were being adhered to.

‘We are 55 workers with only seven doctors in a region of 25 districts. Some districts have only one officer. In fact, for the whole of the region, we have only one vehicle so it is very difficult to cover all the areas,’ he said.

Dr Tetteh cautioned, “Farmers who disregard the biosecurity measures will not receive any compensation when their farms are affected by bird flu and have to be destroyed.

“We are going to link up with the police to arrest those who are violating the directive.”