| Summary: | Protecting village and backyard poultry Cue: Avian flu is known to be a highly contagious disease ? it can be passed very easily between poultry species, and occasionally can cause illness and death in humans. Unlike some viruses, avian flu can also survive outside the body for a long time, for example in the faeces or other excretions of infected birds, or in water where infected birds have been drinking or swimming. When an outbreak occurs, village poultry keepers whose birds scavenge in the open can be at high risk of contracting the disease, either from other poultry, from wild birds or from infected materials such as food and water. So what can be done to increase the safety of village chickens? Nicholas Kauta is the Ugandan Commissioner responsible for livestock health in the agricultural ministry. He spoke to Eric Kadenge about some management practices which are now recommended for village poultry keepers in order to prevent the disease taking hold in the country. He began, however, by explaining more about how avian flu can be spread. IN: ?In many cases people carry birds ?? OUT: ??problem from coming to the country.? DUR?N: 6?43? BACK ANNOUNCEMENT: Dr Nicholas Kauta, Uganda?s commissioner responsible for livestock health, was talking to Eric Kadenge. The interview comes from a radio resource pack produced by CTA. Transcript Kauta In many cases people carry birds large distances for cultural purposes, then they introduce the disease into new areas. In the case of wild birds, they fly long distances to new areas during migrations and where they stop they may get in contact with local birds, infect them, and the disease spreads from there. But there is another mode of transfer. For example, all the excretions from affected birds carry a lot of viruses, so if for example a vehicle which was carrying a bird which is infected gets the dropping of the chicken, or the fluids which come through from the nose, the beak of the bird, when it goes to new areas the droppings can still start a new infection in a ...
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