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NAN-AE-12
Disease
By EricJames Ochigbo
Abuja, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) A veterinarian, Dr Junaidu Maina, has urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps towards checking the prevalence of avian influenza in the country.
Maina gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
NAN reports that the disease, which first broke out in the country in 2006 was brought under control in 2008, but resurfaced in 2015 and affected 322 poultry farms in 18 states while destroying more than 1.1 million birds.
NAN further reports that by Jan. 2016, the disease had become prevalent in 21 states of the federation, including the FCT and had destroyed 70,000 more birds.
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“The emergency preparedness document that we used in 2006 and 2008, we updated it and it is there.
“So all that is required is just to follow those steps and I think this is what is not happening probably, but there is no miracle about it.
“There is an emergency preparedness document that spells out exactly what to do, including what I call SOPs – Standard Operational Procedures – for every activity.
“And these were the exact steps we took in 2006 and 2008.
“It is laid out there; so if there is anything; it is probably the implementation of the emergency preparedness plan that is not probably done.
“That is the unfortunate thing.
“But the real danger is, if the disease becomes endemic – meaning if it stays with us forever – it will spell real disaster for our poultry industry.’’
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Maina said the implementation of the emergency preparedness plan was crucial to eliminating the disease. (NAN)
EOO/LAB/YEE
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim
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