Ghana's poultry industry faces a fresh blow following on from the discovery of the incidences of the HN51 bird flu on a small farm in the port city of Tema, 20 km east of the capital, Accra. As a precautionary measure Togolese authorities have banned the importation of chicken products from Ghana.

Togolese authorities launched a national bird flu plan in February last year. The plan involved a national alert system, border controls and the training of medical staff and this plan has now been put into action.

In an attempt to stem the spread of the virus, Ghanaian authorities have begun a mass culling of poultry and launched an information campaign educating consumers and farmers on the reported infection. The prompt action by authorities has been commended by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

The Ghanaian government has also announced that farmers affected by the cull will be receiving between 50 and 90 percent of the value of their destroyed stock in compensation.

Samples of the death birds have been sent to the International Animal Health Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory at Padova in Italy to determine only the source of the virus.