Botswana on high alert over Zim bird flu fears
Isaac Pinielo | Thursday June 8, 2017 15:50
This week the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security imposed a ban on the importation of domesticated and wild birds, their products and poultry feed from Zimbabwe.
In a statement, the ministry said all permits issued for importing the listed items are cancelled with immediate effect. Agriculture minister, Patrick Ralotsia told Mmegi Business that although the country does not import any poultry products from Zimbabwe, it is important to put necessary precautionary measures in place.
He stated that there is a likelihood that some travellers may want to transport poultry related products across the borders with Zimbabwe.
“This could pose serious risks to our local poultry industry,” he said.
Apart from prohibiting poultry imports, the minister said animal health personnel have been dispatched to various border gates and airports to ensure that people do not cross into the country with poultry and its products.
He said the bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is also of public health concern as it commonly causes severe disease in humans.
“The virus has the potential to mutate to become more transmissible between humans,” Ralotsia said.
He, however, commended the Zimbabwean government for having taken steps to control the spread of the virus, noting that by the end of Tuesday more than 200,000 birds were destroyed in the affected areas of that country.
Meanwhile, the World Organisation for Animal Health stated that the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu was detected at a commercial poultry farm in Mashonaland East province of Zimbabwe, adding that some 7,845 animals in that farm have been killed while another 75,155 birds were culled.
It also said the virus was detected on a farm in Lanark, which is close to a small dam where there are a number of different migratory waterfowl, suspected to be the source of infection.
The H5N8 virus has been spreading around the globe. At least 24 European countries were reportedly affected early this year. Outbreaks have also been reported in Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere in Africa, including Nigeria, which reported cases in December and January. So far it is not reported to have affected people.