The Veterinary Services Department (VSD) says meausres have been instituted to curtail the spread of bird-flu assuring the public not to panic.

Dr. Donald Joachim Darko, the Bono Regional Director of the VSD in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said Municipal/District Officers in the region had been directed to intensify sensitization on bio-security measures by poultry farmers to safeguard their farms from contracting the disease.

Dr. Darko said as part of the measures, poultry farmers have been advised not to transport poultry products and materials like chicken feed from any of the affected areas to prevent the virus from entering the region.

He, thus, stressed the need for poultry farmers to be very cautious about cheap poultry feeds, crates, and other poultry products, particularly from outbreak areas since the items might be contagious and could greatly affect their birds.

Dr. Darko urged poultry farmers to always comply with the bio-security measures such as the construction of poultry farms at a three-kilometre distance away from other poultry farms to reduce the spread of diseases in times of an outbreak.

He, therefore, insisted poultry farmers must provide disinfectants for footbaths at the entrance of their farms to ensure disinfection of foot and tyres of individuals and vehicles before entering the farm to prevent infections.

Dr. Darko encouraged poultry farmers and farm attendants to always put on protective clothes before getting closer to the birds and afterwards, wash their hands properly to avoid virus contamination from the chicken coop.

The Bono VSD Director emphasised besides the farm attendants, poultry farmers must not allow any stranger to enter the chicken coop and even the farm premises, if possible to help curb the spread of the Bird Flu.

Dr. Darko entreated the public to desist from eating dead and sick animals to guarantee the individuals’ and communities’ quality state of health for a healthy workforce for higher productivity to promote stable national economic growth.