The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, has urged residents to remain calm amid rumours of an outbreak of avian influenza, also known as bird flu in the state.
Labaran in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, explained that the rumours of the outbreak emanated following a report in December 2024, of a young man from Gwale area who bought an infected duck from Janguza Market and introduced it to his poultry which infected them causing mortality of 35 out of 50 birds.
The commissioner said that upon running a diagnosis on the sample in the first week of January 2025, at a veterinary clinic in Gwale, the bird flu virus was confirmed on the samples.
He said upon receipt of the test result, the state ministry of agriculture proactively sealed the place, depopulated the remaining chickens and decontaminated the compound as well as the premises where live birds are sold in Janguza Market.
While urging poultry farmers and residents to report any suspected case of bird flu to the authorities, he stressed that the case is not worrisome to be declared an outbreak.
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The commissioner further stated that the state government has constituted an emergency response joint committee made up of members from ministry health, agriculture, environment and water resources, to strategise on ways to confront the issue.
“Meetings would be held every week with the stakeholders and the public would be regularly informed about the issue. Surveillance would be intensified in every local government area, especially among poultry and other bird rearers, and reports would be sent to this committee on daily basis, while inform Governor Abba Yusuf of the situation,” he stated.
The commissioner however, highlighted that symptoms of bird flu include fever, mucous and the redness of the eyes, among others.
