Bird flu cases in Ghana
Reportedly, five bird flu cases have been recorded in Ghana following its outbreak in Burkina Faso recently.
The detection of the disease has been confirmed by the Nugochi Memorial Institute for Medical Research after receiving samples from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The Medical Centre said it received six samples from two farms at Achimota and Tema out of which five listed for H5NI.
Dr. John Odoom, a Research Fellow at the Virology Department of the Centre stated that at the moment, there was no evidence of the transmission of the virus among humans.
A victim of bird flu experiences high fever with a temperature higher than 38ºc, cough or sore throat, diarrheoa, vomiting, abdominal and chest pains, and bleeding from the nose and gums. People with these symptoms are therefore advised to report to the nearest medical facility for treatment. Advisedly, people should refrain from eating poultry and poultry products until the situation returns to normal. We call for public awareness education on handling birds and poultry farmers especially, must be brought into the picture on how to prevent the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, we call on the authorities to open vaccination centres in readiness for any outbreak of the virus. Against the backdrop of the recent cholera outbreak in some parts of the country, we should be in a state of alert. We are however happy that Veterinary Officers have started intensive disease-surveillance in the Upper East and West and the Volta Regions to contain the Virus. In our view, the ban on the importation of poultry and poultry products from Burkina Faso, must be enforced to the letter.
The Catholic Standard advises Custom Officials and other Border Security personnel to be patriotic enough not to be influenced with money to allow poultry products to be smuggled into the Country.
Since controlling the disease in animals is the first step in reducing risks to human beings, urgent attention should be focused in this direction, to avoid disastrous health, economic and social consequences. The flu which surfaced in Ghana some years back should not be allowed to cause havoc to both human and animal life.
We should take seriously the advice given by the Acting Head of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Michael Adjabeng that we should not rush to kill, prepare and consume sick birds.
The Catholic Standard entreats the general public to properly cook birds before consuming them and farm workers who have prolonged contact with birds should have prompt medical checks since they stand higher risks.
It is necessary that we all be on a look out to quickly report to the Veterinary Services, any spotted sick birds around us as well as visit the hospitals when we contract any form of flu in our households.
The detection of the disease has been confirmed by the Nugochi Memorial Institute for Medical Research after receiving samples from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The Medical Centre said it received six samples from two farms at Achimota and Tema out of which five listed for H5NI.
Dr. John Odoom, a Research Fellow at the Virology Department of the Centre stated that at the moment, there was no evidence of the transmission of the virus among humans.
A victim of bird flu experiences high fever with a temperature higher than 38ºc, cough or sore throat, diarrheoa, vomiting, abdominal and chest pains, and bleeding from the nose and gums. People with these symptoms are therefore advised to report to the nearest medical facility for treatment. Advisedly, people should refrain from eating poultry and poultry products until the situation returns to normal. We call for public awareness education on handling birds and poultry farmers especially, must be brought into the picture on how to prevent the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, we call on the authorities to open vaccination centres in readiness for any outbreak of the virus. Against the backdrop of the recent cholera outbreak in some parts of the country, we should be in a state of alert. We are however happy that Veterinary Officers have started intensive disease-surveillance in the Upper East and West and the Volta Regions to contain the Virus. In our view, the ban on the importation of poultry and poultry products from Burkina Faso, must be enforced to the letter.
The Catholic Standard advises Custom Officials and other Border Security personnel to be patriotic enough not to be influenced with money to allow poultry products to be smuggled into the Country.
Since controlling the disease in animals is the first step in reducing risks to human beings, urgent attention should be focused in this direction, to avoid disastrous health, economic and social consequences. The flu which surfaced in Ghana some years back should not be allowed to cause havoc to both human and animal life.
We should take seriously the advice given by the Acting Head of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Michael Adjabeng that we should not rush to kill, prepare and consume sick birds.
The Catholic Standard entreats the general public to properly cook birds before consuming them and farm workers who have prolonged contact with birds should have prompt medical checks since they stand higher risks.
It is necessary that we all be on a look out to quickly report to the Veterinary Services, any spotted sick birds around us as well as visit the hospitals when we contract any form of flu in our households.
