The Ghana government on Wednesday assured the public that it was closely monitoring the outbreak of bird flu in several parts of the world, including Nigeria in West Africa, announcing a series of measures to forestall any eventuality, Ghana News Agency reported on Thursday.

In a radio and television broadcast in the country's capital Accra, Ernest Debrah, minister of food and agriculture, said although the outbreak had not been detected in any part of the country, it was very important for everybody to be alert and to report any unusual disease occurrence in the poultry.

Debrah appealed to the public to verify from Regional or District Veterinary Officers any information or rumor of bird deaths.

"This will help us avoid creating unnecessary panicky situation in the general public."

Surveillance of wild birds, especially migratory birds, had continued and was being intensified, he said together with the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.

"A ban has already been imposed on the importation of live poultry and poultry products from Nigeria. In addition, live poultry and poultry products including feathers are banned from entering Ghana through our entire eastern border," he said in response to the emergence of bird flu in Nigeria.

Debrah said since the threat of introduction of the disease was identified a few months ago, the ministry had started putting in place the necessary mechanisms for preventing the disease from entering Ghana and also for early detection and early response should the disease enter Ghana.

"We immediately imposed a ban on the importation of live poultry and poultry products including feathers from the countries where the disease had occurred. We have continued to monitor the global situation."

Debrah said a National Avian Influenza Working group consisting of Ghana's government departments and some international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, have been meeting regularly to review the avian flu situation.

The group has come out with Ghana's Emergency Preparedness Plan for Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic which contains actions for dealing with the disease in birds and also actions to deal with the disease should there be human involvement.

Source: Xinhua