By MaryAnne Musilo

Wanjiku Ngugi is keeping bird flu and Newcastle disease away with from her chickens in Kiambu with chicken wire and salt water.

In May last year, 2024, Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture reported it had found the high-risk version of bird flu in wild birds at Lutembe Bay and poultry in Wakiso and Kalangala districts, while veterinary officers are reporting ongoing Newcastle outbreaks, with Meru, Bungoma, Kakamega, Bomet and 14 other counties recording hundreds of poultry deaths in unvaccinated flocks since January this year.

The two diseases are spread by wild birds, foot traffic, and contaminated tools.

“These diseases can wipe out a flock fast, and most farmers do not vaccinate or know the signs early enough to protect their birds,” said Dr Gachoka Richard Nyagia, a veterinary surgeon in Gatundu South.

But by protecting her birds from the carriers of these disease, Wanjiku has so far avoided the infections.

“I have put in protective fencing, and I clean the droppings and spilled feed out each day. I also disinfect my boots before going into the chicken coop.”

Wanjiku spent Sh6,000 on two 30-metre rolls of chicken wire that she bought from a hardware store, installing them starting three feet off the ground to allow ventilation while blocking wild birds. “My coop has a flat roof eight feet high. I chose a rough floor because a smooth concrete floor can be cold, which is not good for the birds,” she said.

For her boots, she uses salted water as a cheap disinfectant. “One can also use other disinfectants, but salted water is cheaper,” she said.

Kenya and East Africa have been recording the milder type of bird flu every year since 2017, triggering repeated quarantine measures and market disruptions. But the disease is difficult to contain because infected chickens often show no symptoms.

However, their egg production falls, and they start eating less, which makes them more vulnerable to other infections.

A 2021 report by the Kenya Veterinary Association estimated that smallholder farmers can lose up to Sh25,000 per 100 birds in a milder bird flu outbreak, from reduced egg yields, lower growth rates, and sudden deaths linked to secondary infections.

These secondary deaths can kill up to 15 per cent of a flock, while the impaired laying and growth cause long-term setbacks.

“With or without the bird flu outbreak, it is just very important to maintain good hygiene in the poultry farm,” said Wanjiku.

Wanjiku Ngugi,is keeping her birds fenced in and disinfects her boots to go into her chicken coop in Kiambu as the top measures to stop rising bird flu and Newcastle disease from taking her floc

Both diseases, along with common poultry ailments, are carried to flicks by wild animals, foot traffic, and contaminated equipment.

“With or without the bird flu outbreak, it is very important to maintain good hygiene in the poultry farm,” said Wanjiku. “I ensure proper fencing, also I clean the droppings and feeds spillage daily. It is also important to disinfect the boots before entering the chicken coop.”

She uses chicken wire for her fencing, which she says is vital to keep out wild birds.

“These diseases can wipe out a flock fast, and most farmers do not vaccinate or know the signs early enough to protect their birds,” said Dr Gachoka Richard Nyagia, a veterinary surgeon in Gatundu South.

He said avian influenza, or bird flu, is caused by the influenza A virus, which mainly infects birds and is spread by wild species, foot traffic, equipment and traders. The virus is shed in faeces, saliva and mucus and spreads quickly once inside a flock.

Bird flu has two types, and Kenya has had ongoing cases of the low-risk type of bird flu continuously since 2017. The low-risk type often 

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He said the virus is classified as either low-pathogenic (LPAI), which may cause no symptoms, or high-pathogenic (HPAI), which causes serious breathing problems, swollen heads, pale combs, diarrhoea, a drop in appetite, and can kill many birds suddenly.

“HPAI causes serious breathing difficulties, significant drop in egg production, and sudden death,” said Dr Gachoka.

The disease has already been reported in Uganda, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kenya’s position along migratory bird routes and near affected countries makes it vulnerable, especially when biosecurity is weak.

“Influenza A virus has the potential to decimate domesticated poultry stocks and cause significant economic damage to poultry farmers,” said Dr Gachoka. “The disease can lead to losses measured at 1.8% of gross domestic incomes.”

He said control requires surveillance, training and quick reporting of unusual bird deaths. “Control of the bird flu involves heightened monitoring and surveillance especially along the birds’ migratory routes including markets, improved biosecurity and training farmers on early warning signs,” said Dr Gachoka.

He advised that any sick birds should not be eaten, and dead birds should be burned and buried. “Any sick-looking poultry should not be slaughtered or eaten. Dead birds should be burned and buried deeply,” he said. “As we ramp up border control, it is clear that preventing a cross-border bird flu crisis depends on early action and community cooperation.”

He said Kenya does not currently stock bird flu vaccines, but they can be imported when necessary. “Although vaccines may not be available in Kenya, there are laid out protocols which can facilitate importation of vaccines,” he said.

Farmers can lower the risks with basic measures like those used by Wanjiku. “Proper fencing creates a physical barrier with wild birds, which not only transmit bird flu but also Newcastle disease,” she said.