Kenya says it will lift the ban on poultry imports from neighboring Uganda. It follows reports that the outbreak of bird flu in Uganda was now under control.
Kenya’s Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimutai announced the decision this week. But that is however dependent on a confirmation from the World Health Organization (W.H.O).
Kenya imposed the ban after the outbreak of Avian Flu was first detected in ducks on the Uganda’s side of the lake Volta at Lutembe beach near Entebbe.
Avian influenza virus occurs naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other birds and animal species.
Currently, only three Ugandan firms namely Hudani Manji Holdings, SR Afrochick and Kukuchic are allowed to export their poultry products to Kenya after a partial lift in August 2017.
How to spot avian influenza
Anyone who keeps poultry must keep a close watch on their birds for any signs of the disease.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is the more serious type. It is often fatal in birds. The main clinical signs are:
- Swollen head
- Blue discolouration of neck and throat
- Loss of appetite
- Respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling
- Diarrhoea
- Fewer eggs laid
- Increased mortality
Source: Africafeeds.com
