Some farms devastated by losses
Viral outbreak hits poultry farms in Kurdistan and Iraq
SULAYMANIYAH — A viral outbreak has spread across poultry farms in the Kurdistan region and Iraq, resulting in the deaths of thousands of chickens. There are calls for urgent vaccination to contain the outbreak.
The diseases identified are Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, and Gumboro disease. These diseases predominantly affect poultry during the warmer seasons and have currently spread within poultry farms, affecting significant numbers of chickens and chicks.
“The infectious bronchitis, Newcastle, and Gumboro viruses have spread within poultry farms in the Kurdistan region and Iraq. This is a recurring annual virus that causes significant mortality among the poultry farms,” said Nazim Abdullah, head of the Poultry Farms Association in Sulaymaniyah, in an interview with 964media.
Abdullah noted that thousands of chicks and chickens have died due to the virus, with daily losses ranging from 500 to over 1,000 birds on some farms. He explained that if a poultry farm has 20,000 chicks, it struggles to save even 10,000.
“Vaccination is essential for the poultry,” Abdullah stated, “but there is currently no vaccine available.” According to Abdullah, providing a vaccine is a government responsibility.
Yesterday, the Veterinary Department in Sulaymaniyah proposed relocating urban poultry shops to specific areas outside the city to address health concerns. These poultry shops within neighborhoods lack proper safety measures and potentially pose health risks for residents and consumers.
In May, a large number of gulls were reported dead in Sulaymaniyah’s Dukan Lake and Raparin’s Little Zap River. It took nearly two weeks before an outbreak of avian influenza among gulls was finally confirmed. Weeks later, bird flu cases among gulls in Salah al-Din were reported as well.
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