Health authorities in Masaka City are concerned about the huge numbers of dead chicken, raising suspicions of bird flu outbreak in the area.
Namigadde Annet, who works at Masaka Regional veterinary laboratory confirmed that health experts are actively investigating a suspected outbreak in the area after heaps of dead chicken suspected to have been collected from nearby poultry farms were found dumped in several locations around Masaka City.
Along Bukakata road, Namigadde says they found more than 15000 dead chicken, and the health teams are now following up the matter to ascertain the cause of the deaths which has left poultry farmers counting losses.
She however expressed concern over reports that unscrupulous individuals are picking the dead birds and selling them as roasted meat at roadside stalls while others are selling them to hotel and restaurant operators for public consumption which is a public health risk.
Namigadde warned travelers to temporarily abstain from consuming roasted chicken sold by vendors along Masaka road, but also members of the public should be vigilant not to be fed on chicken which could have died from diseases.
The Deputy Resident City Commissioner (DRCC) for Masaka City, Ahmed Katerega Musaazi, also re-echoed the health concerns associated with this outbreak and cautioned members of the public against buying birds which they find already slaughtered, or buying roasted chicken from meat vendors.
Hajji Katerega however noted that bird meat bought from hotels and restaurants may not be susceptible to this threat as the hotel and restaurant owners are usually careful and cannot buy dead chicken (birds).
Avian flu is common in areas around Lake Victoria and recent incidents were in 2017 and 2021 when the agriculture ministry confirmed massive death of birds in two spots, one near Entebbe, on the banks of Lake Victoria, and another in the Masaka distict about 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of Kampala.
In both cases the specimen tested positive for “the highly pathogenic avian influenza that affects both humans and animals and which causes a high number of deaths in both species”
