Zimbabwe’s eastern border neighbor, Mozambique has also banned poultry products from the country following an outbreak of avian flu.
Mozambique’s National Veterinary Director, Americo Conceicao, said the avian flu virus is easily transmitted from one poultry farm to another by contaminated equipment, vehicles, clothing and chicken feed. Said Conceicao:
Wild birds are a source of transmission of this flu”, he said, “We, and mainly our poultry producers, must step up our vigilance in our production units. All cases of mortality must be notified immediately, so that we can take measures in good time.
Producers should also notify the veterinary authorities if they notice problems with their birds’ breathing or nervous system, and outsiders should be banned from poultry farms, in case they are unwittingly carrying the disease.
So far there have been no cases of H5N8 registered in humans, but bio-safety measures must be observed to avoid risks of contamination.
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