Nigerian gov't urged to focus on biosecurity against bird flu

The Nigerian government on Monday was urged to increase its focus on biosecurity as a preventive measure against bird flu to check the spread of the disease in the country.

Folorunsho Adene, an avian medical expert who first diagnosed avian influenza in the country, gave the advice at a sensitization workshop held by the Nigerian Veterinary Association in the capital Abuja.

The lack of culture of bio-security, he said, had put the nation at high risk in case of any fresh outbreak of bird flu.

Adene said, "biosecurity is a very complex issue with various components, but people tend to narrow it down to just disinfectants and disinfection alone."

He said biosecurity had two major components, including bio- exclusion which dealt with poultry protection and bio- contamination which prevented germs from coming out of the poultry.

"This has to do with the total destruction of dead birds in the scientific way through which the germs would be destroyed with the animals," he said.

"Biosecurity starts from the source of birds, housing, daily management, marketing and transportation amongst others," he said, adding that the government had to focus more attention on the breeding and marketing system which still followed the traditional pattern of too much closeness of birds to human.

Adele explained that Nigeria, the most populous African country with a total of 140 million people, had not recorded any case of human infection but the chance of human infection was high.

"Market is a disease mixing place, therefore the marketers should be trained on personal hygiene and the implications," he said.

He added the government should put in place a standard policy on market structure that would include basic amenities for hygiene and adequate disinfection by the workers before and after sales.

Source: Xinhua