Ethiopia burns bird-flu infected chicken

Mar 2, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian authorites said they had incinerated all the chickens in a farm where preliminary tests on dead poultry revealed a bird flu-like infection.

“The 9,000 chickens have now been totally destroyed and incinerated,” said Selashi Zewde, head of the verterinary department in the Agriculture Ministry.

“We are collecting samples on chickens living around the farm where the 6,000 chickens died to undergo further investigation,” Selashi added.

The measure was in line with preventive measures following the death of more than 6,000 chickens since mid-February at the government-owned farm in the Endibir area of the Southern Nation and Nationality People’s (SNNP) state.

On Tuesday, the ministry said the chickens had died of avian flu, but could not confirm whether it was due to the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain.

Further virology tests are to be conducted in Italy.

Ethiopia, along with other east African Rift Valley nations such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, are considered at high risk for the spread of the virus as millions of migratory birds flock there during the European winter.

(ST/AFP)