“As far as I know, there has been no outbreak in the country since July,” Maina told journalists on Friday in Abuja.
“We’ve contacted all the relevant agencies from the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom, near Jos as the diagnostic confirmatory body and it said no sample was diagnosed by the laboratory.
“The Gombe State director of veterinary medicine and all the zonal offices and the desk officer who was claimed to have confirmed the diagnoses refuted such claims,’’ he said.
Maina said that it was only his office as the national chief veterinary officer that could make such pronouncements through the office of the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources after all confirmation with relevant agencies.
He said the report could be referring to the last outbreak in July 2008 after a random bird sample collection from various markets in Gombe showed a positive but non-deadly result in one duck.
He said that since the confirmation of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in February 2006, the Nigerian government had demonstrated a high political will by instituting various measures directed towards the various strata of the society in the control and eradication of the disease.
He said that part of the strategy was the strengthening of the epidemio-surveillance network and bio-security on farms and border posts, massive sensitisation and creating awareness, fumigation of the bird markets and obtaining of US$50 million credit under the World Bank emergency funds for the implementation of the Avian Influenza Control Project (AICP).
He said that as a result of that, substantial improvements were recorded in strengthening epidemio-surveillance, transport of specimen samples and capacity for laboratory diagnostic services at NVRI and veterinary teaching hospitals.
He said that the Nigerian government was also collaborating with the Poultry Farmers Association (PAN) in the institutionalisation of best farming practices in poultry production with focus on bio-security and movement management of poultry through various border and interstate control posts.
Maina said all the improvements recorded led to the selection of NVRI as a regional laboratory for Avian Influenza and other trans-boundary animal diseases for West and Central Africa.
He reiterated that consumption of poultry products in Nigeria was safe.
No comments:
Post a Comment