THE veterinary department in Bulawayo has assured residents that there has been no outbreak of diseases that affect birds such as chickens and turkey, among others. LUYANDUHLOBO MAKWATI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Last week, some people that keep chickens lost birds in numbers triggering rumours that the deaths were due to Newcastle disease.
However, Bulawayo provincial veterinary officer Polex Ndlovu said there had been an outbreak of Newcastle in Bubi, Nyamandlovu and Binga that killed a number of birds.
“In Bulawayo we have not dictated it. I can confirm that in Matabeleland North we had chickens dying of Newcastle disease,” he said. “We attended to the problem, but in Bulawayo we have not recorded any.”
Ndlovu said the deaths of broilers in Bulawayo were largely due to failure by owners to manage them properly.
“Those who are rearing broilers might have had their chickens dying due to management issues where they failed to follow the correct procedures. Their birds suffered from various infectious diseases which are not notifiable,” he said.
“The other problem has been the issue of weather changes resulting in them losing their birds.”
Sithokozile Ncube of Gwabalanda lost more than 50 birds within a short period of time and she suspected that Newcastle was the cause.
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“I lost 50 birds within a space of six hours. I was watching my chickens dying helplessly as I could not do anything for them,” she said.
Newcastle disease is an infection of domestic poultry and other bird species.
It is a worldwide problem that presents primarily as an acute respiratory disease, depression, nervous manifestations and diarrhoea and its severity depends on the power of the infecting virus and host weaknesses.
As it spreads it appears throughout the flock within 12 days after aerosol exposure. Spread is slower if the faecal-oral route is the primary means of transmission, particularly for caged birds. Young birds are the most susceptible.
