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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Poultry products safe for consumption by Don Asoka Wijewardena Avian Influenza can enter Sri Lanka via imported poultry products, migratory birds and contaminated water. The Department of Animal Production and Health has banned imports of live poultry,-poultry products,poultry by products and pet birds from countries where the disease has been reported,said Department of Animal Production and Health Director General Dr. S. K. R. Amarasekera at a media conference on "Bird Flu" at the National Agribusiness Council auditorium last week. Dr. Amarasekera said that migratory birds might spread the disease and the Department of Animal Production and Health had carried out a continuous surveillance system since 2004 in all risk areas where there was a possibility of introduction of bird flu via migratory birds. He also said that bird flu had caused a major threat to the poultry industry and also a hazard to human health and added that these outbreaks had warned Sri Lanka to be prepared to prevent this disease coming into the country. "Each consignment of poultry products from diseases-free countries were also subjected to strict quarantine inspection at the port of entry and samples were taken for laboratory investigations," Dr. Amarasekera said. All-Island Poultry Association Chairman Dr. D. D. Wanasinghe said that in case the bird flu came to Sri Lanka all chickens in the affected farm and other poultry farms at a distance of three kilometre radius would be killed. He said that the Poultry Association had asked the government to pay compensation to poultry breeders for the loss of their source of income. He assured that the chicken and eggs available were quite safe for human consumption. National Agribusiness Council Chairman Mario de Alwis said that the disease was endemic and the Department of Animal Production and Health had set up a National Emergency Preparedness Plan and strict surveillance system to monitor the outbreak of the bird flu. He also said that poultry farmers were advised to improve their bio-security and added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) had agreed to do everything possible to eradicate the virus. He said around 7,500 poultry farmers in Sri Lanka were somewhat frightened over the sudden outbreak of the bird flu and added that neither human beings nor animals had been affected in Sri Lanka. |
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