- The need to maintain calm and highlighted ongoing precautionary measures
- No unusual bird deaths have been reported by any of the association’s 800 members
Poultry farmers in Kano have dismissed reports of a bird flu outbreak, stating that only a single case was detected without any subsequent mass bird deaths reported on farms.
The Chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association, Dr. Usman Gwarzo, clarified that referring to the situation as an outbreak was premature and unnecessary.
He emphasized the need to maintain calm and highlighted ongoing precautionary measures.
“I am a medical epidemiologist. For an outbreak to be declared, more than one farm must be affected. In Kano, no farm has reported sudden bird deaths—only a single case exists,” Gwarzo explained.
He added that farmers are proactively addressing risk factors, particularly the practice of transporting poultry from market to farm and vice versa.
“In some cases, sick birds are sold in markets, which poses a risk. However, we are not facing an emergency,” he assured, recalling the severe outbreak in 2016 as a cautionary reminder.
No unusual bird deaths have been reported by any of the association’s 800 members, Gwarzo stated.
At the Gwale Veterinary Clinic, where the initial case was recorded, veterinary officials declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations by state health and agricultural ministries.
Meanwhile, chicken sellers in Kano’s Post Office Road market, such as Kabiru Bala and Mustapha Falalu, expressed awareness of market fumigation efforts but reported no knowledge of any outbreak.