| Summary: | Recognising and responding to disease symptoms Cue: Since February 2006, when the first outbreaks of H5N1 avian flu to occur in Africa were reported from Egypt, farmers across the continent have been told to be on the alert for signs of the disease. But what signs or symptoms of disease should they be looking for? Is avian flu very easy to recognise? Does it have very different symptoms from other diseases? And what should farmers do if they think that one or more of their birds may have, or may have died from, the disease? Dr Christine Chisembele is the National Coordinator for the Avian Influenza Prevention and Control programme in Zambia. She spoke recently to Chris Kakunta, who began by asking what symptoms of disease poultry farmers should look out for. IN: ?Yes the first symptom that they ?? OUT: ??You keep the species separated.? DUR?N: 4?54? BACK ANNOUNCEMENT: Dr Christine Chisembele with some important advice in how to prevent poultry flocks from catching avian flu. She was speaking to Chris Kakunta, and the interview comes from a radio resource pack produced by CTA. Transcript Chisembele Yes the first symptom that they will notice is that the birds are no longer thrifty, and usually it comes with high mortality. Sometimes before you see any signs birds just drop dead. Of course it is difficult for the farmer to distinguish between especially Newcastle and this particular virus, so the best right now they can do is to inform the veterinary officers, even the health centres, tell them that they are having such an experience. The other symptoms they will notice is the birds, usually their faces do swell, in certain cases, when the disease lasts long enough for them to see the symptoms. Their heads swell and they become, to use a simpler word, reddened, there is that discolouration of red, purplish look, especially on the combs and also on the feet. Egg production for layers drastically reduces. So the main symptom you see is this reddening of surfaces which have colour, and then of course if the bird is ...
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