Cameroon bans sale of poultry in capital after bird flu outbreak

Cameroon’s Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr. Taiga has ordered a ban on the sale of poultry in markets across the Mfoundi Division, including Yaoundé, the capital.

This move comes in the wake of the country’s efforts to combat the outbreak of bird flu, which had resulted in the death of over 15,000 fowls at a neighbourhood in Yaounde as confirmed by Cameroon’s national veterinary laboratory.

#Cameroon hit by a bird flu outbreak in a major poultry facility https://t.co/LFUnIHHX0T

— africanews (@africanews) May 27, 2016

“These include the prohibition of access to breeding sites to any person outside the station, the ban on entry and output of livestock products and other inputs, the slaughter of all birds, incineration and landfilling of all carcass in accordance with the regulations,’‘ the minister is quoted as saying.

The 15,000 infected birds – representing 50% of birds in the affected facility – died in three days. The government says all the dead birds have been incinerated and the rest slaughtered.

The authorities also said the treatment of any infected people will be “free”.