The Oyo State government says it has shut down a hatchery of NPG factory located at Oluyole Industrial estate in Ibadan, the state capital, over a suspected case of Avian flu, also known as Bird Flu.
Special Adviser to the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi on Agriculture, Professor Segun Adekunle, declared that the decision to shut the hatchery was due to the spread of the virus at NPG main factory in Ogun state, with the Oluyole farm as hatchery.
Adekunle it will be recalled had led a team to the hatchery after the Ogun state Ministry of Agriculture on September 6, 2017 raised the alarm of suspected case of Bird Flu in the main factory in Ogun State.
He said that the factory was shut in order to protect unsuspecting chicks’ buyers from spreading the virus.
He then urged residents of the state not to panic about the spread of disease, assuring that the state government will activate other containment measures based on the screening result.
“We got the hint from the Ogun state commissioner for Agriculture that there was the outbreak of Avian influenza at NPG factory in Egbeda area of the state. Knowing that the NPG factory has its factory in Oluyole local government, the NPG factory was visited yesterday with the Avian Flu desk, the Police among other concerned agencies.
“The Agric team with the Avian flu Desk office took samples of day old chicks and Chicken at the Factory to Vom in Jos, for laboratory tests, for confirmation and severity of the Virus strain, H5N8. The Lab at Vom, Jos, which is a federal government facility, will diagnose, screen and determine its threat status.
“Meanwhile, the hatchery has been shut from doing any business until; we get the results of the diagnosis. However, residents of the state should remain calm and not fear that there is an outbreak of epidemic in the state. The result will determine other containment measures to take”, he stated.
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