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Kenya urged to ban poultry imports from Uganda over avian flu

Xinhua, January 18, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Kenya Veterinary Association (KVA) on Tuesday urged the government to ban the importation of poultry from Uganda following the outbreak of avian flu.

Tests done on tens of dead birds found on Lutembe beach in Lake Victoria and near Entebbe in Uganda have turned positive for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

KVA national chairman Dr Samuel Kahariri noted that the fight to deal with the disease faced major challenges due to the illegal movements of the poultry and their products into the country from Uganda.

According to Kahariri, the government must come in strongly and put in a strong animal disease surveillance system particularly in the hot spots.

"The law enforcement agencies must be extra vigilant to curb the illegal movement of poultry and their products in Kenya," he said.

Kahariri called for the procurement of protective gear to avert possible infection and deaths of the veterinary doctors and other high risk personnel during the execution of the exercise.

The veterinarian called on his colleagues and the poultry farming community to be extra vigilant to enhance early warning system.

He said that counties bordering Uganda must hold emergency meetings and lay strategies on how to prevent passage of the disease through the common border.

"The government must urgently solve the ongoing crisis in the health sector to cushion Kenyans from the possible distressing health and economic situation," he said.

He challenged county governments to make sure that they had enough personnel and drugs to deal with any outbreak.

"Veterinary services currently have less than 50 percent of the requisite labor force out of which about 35 percent will be due for retire in the next 3 years," he said.

Kahariri said that this was the first time the avian flu also known as avian influenza had broken out in the region.

He called on members of the public to desist from touching or eating dead birds or other wild animals as this was one way of spreading the deadly virus.

"Members of the public should not touch or eat wild birds or other wild animals that are found dead and they should instead report to the nearest veterinary authority," he said. Endit