Tepa (Ash), June 13, GNA - The district office of the Ministry of Food and agriculture (MOFA) in the Ahafo Ano North District have intensified public education on bird flu also known as Avian Influenza in the district.

Apart from a district task force to contain the situation in case of an outbreak of the flu in the district, the staff have visited a number of educational institutions, communities, churches, mosques, market places and lorry parks to educate the public on the nature of the flu symptoms, how it affects human beings and what is to be done to avoid it.

At a forum organized by the directorate at Subriso, Mr Thomas Godwin Kobbi, the District Director of MOFA enumerated the number of ways the flu could affect people.

He mentioned getting close contact with sick or dead birds such as chicken, ducks, turkeys and guinea fowls, removing the feathers or cutting the bird into pieces for cooking or eating improperly cooked poultry meat.

To avoid bird flu, Mr Kobbi advised the public not to touch or handle any sick or dead bird with bare hands, report the death of bird to the nearest agricultural office, avoid eating sick or dead bird and cook poultry products properly before eating. He asked the public to report immediately to a hospital or the nearest health institution any case of fever, cough or body pains after contacting a sick bird. 13 June 07