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Newcastle disease suspected in poultry deaths
By Antony Gitonga
The mysterious disease that has killed dozens of birds in Lake Naivasha could be Newcastle.
Initial tests on the dead birds showed that they had the incurable poultry disease. Scores of birds have also died in villages bordering the lake. Dr Kaba Githui said tests on the dead chicken had showed that they succumbed to the disease.
"We took several samples of the dead chicken and after analysing them, it has emerged that they died of Newcastle disease," he said.
But he said the tests were yet to establish what had killed migratory and resident birds in the lake.
"We have taken the dead birds to our laboratories in Nairobi and tests are still going on to determine the cause of deaths," he said.
He said the only way to curb the disease was immunising the birds while they were still young. According to locals, the chicken deaths were first noticed last weekend but the number rose on Thursday.
The birds lay scattered in the DCK trading centre, while others could be seen staggering, too weak to walk.
"The chicken started to diarrhoea and after some time they just collapsed and died as we watched," said John Wafula.
In the last couple of weeks, a number of birds have died in Lake Naivasha with the Ibis, Spa geese and sand pipers been the most affected.
The lake is on the route for birds from Europe and their deaths have raised fears that avian flu that had been detected in some African countries had reached the country.
By Antony Gitonga
The mysterious disease that has killed dozens of birds in Lake Naivasha could be Newcastle.
Initial tests on the dead birds showed that they had the incurable poultry disease. Scores of birds have also died in villages bordering the lake. Dr Kaba Githui said tests on the dead chicken had showed that they succumbed to the disease.
"We took several samples of the dead chicken and after analysing them, it has emerged that they died of Newcastle disease," he said.
But he said the tests were yet to establish what had killed migratory and resident birds in the lake.
"We have taken the dead birds to our laboratories in Nairobi and tests are still going on to determine the cause of deaths," he said.
He said the only way to curb the disease was immunising the birds while they were still young. According to locals, the chicken deaths were first noticed last weekend but the number rose on Thursday.
The birds lay scattered in the DCK trading centre, while others could be seen staggering, too weak to walk.
"The chicken started to diarrhoea and after some time they just collapsed and died as we watched," said John Wafula.
In the last couple of weeks, a number of birds have died in Lake Naivasha with the Ibis, Spa geese and sand pipers been the most affected.
The lake is on the route for birds from Europe and their deaths have raised fears that avian flu that had been detected in some African countries had reached the country.
