Import of poultry from Sudan banned in Kenya after bird flu outbreak

[Mingus]

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=83026

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="3" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="headeredbig" valign="top"> NEWS</td></tr> <tr> <td>
Import of poultry banned after bird flu outbreak

Story by NATION Correspondent
Publication Date: 10/9/2006 </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="bodytext" valign="top"> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="bodytext" valign="top"> [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Importation of poultry and its products using the Lokichoggio Airstrip and roads linking Kenya to southern Sudan has been banned after cases of bird flu were reported in Juba. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Turkana district veterinary officer George Omari yesterday alerted Lokichoggio, Kakuma, Oropoi and Kalokol residents of the new measure.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The World Health Organisation also confirmed the report. The agency's officials operating in Juba, Southern Sudan, said four birds had died of the flu at a local farm. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]However, no human cases were reported.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Dr Omari cautioned hotel owners to observe high standards of hygienic when handling poultry products saying domestic birds were at risk of contracting the disease and spreading it.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]He also asked residents to report suspected cases of dead birds to the veterinary department. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The department has started collecting blood samples from birds in the area for testing at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), said the officer.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]"If some local birds will test positive, the department will kill all birds in the area and pay the owners," he said.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Dr Omari noted that the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian health organisation operating at a refugee camp in Sudan, had started educating people about the disease.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]He said public health officials at the airstrip had been alerted not to allow Sudanese crossing into the country to carry poultry and other related products into refugee camps.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]He said poultry products that have not been vetted could spread the disease.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Veterinary officers said they had increased surveillance and set up a team to monitor the situation.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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Re: Import of poultry from Sudan banned in Kenya after bird flu outbreak

Vehicles From Sudan to Be Sprayed Against Bird Flu

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
October 9, 2006
Posted to the web October 10, 2006
Kampala

VEHICLES from Sudan entering Uganda through Koboko and Arua districts are to be disinfected, reports Frank Mugabi.

This follows the confirmed cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in the southern Sudanese capital of Juba last month.

Health officials at a three-day regional workshop on bird flu that ended in Arua town on Friday recommended spraying in light of the increased business traffic between Uganda and Juba.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation organised the workshop that involved district directors of health services, veterinary officers, chief administrative officers and health educators from the 14 northern districts bordering Sudan.

All vehicles will be subjected to drive through a disinfection wheel well to be sunk at Oraba border post in Koboko district while passengers will be required to disinfect their shoes.

The workshop also agreed that a check-point be set up at Oraba to check for smuggled fowl.

Recently, the Arua district bird flu taskforce banned the importation of poultry from Sudan and Congo.

Arua district veterinary officer Dr. Gordon Victor Toa said the district had put a ban on the re-entry of egg trays from the lucrative market in Juba.

He said a team comprising of mainly medical and veterinary experts was set up in the district to work on information provided by the Village Alert System.