Bird Flu in Ghana: Over 500,000 farm animals at risk
The Food and Agriculture Ministry has confirmed the outbreak of the H5N1 avian virus in Ghana. Health officials say the H5N1 avian virus has affected seven farms within Accra, Central, and Volta Region.
Strains of the influenza virus that mainly infect birds can also infect humans. This type of flu is most often contracted by contact with sick birds. It can also be passed from person to person.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in the Greater Accra, Volta, and Central regions of Ghana so far.
Over 10,000 poultry birds die as the government place a ban on imports.
The outbreak of the disease follows the detection of similar cases in neighboring countries since January 2021.
A total of 102,760 birds from 35 farms across five regions in Ghana were affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the year 2015 alone.
The government of Ghana has currently placed a ban on the movement of Poultry and Poultry products within and from the affected regions in the country.