The wisdom of the Togolese

Via Reuters, a story from IRIN: TOGO: 17,000 poultry killed in latest flu outbreak . Excerpt:

Some 17,000 birds died or have been culled since the outbreak of the H5N1 avian flu virus on 9 September on three poultry farms in Agbata, located 10km east of Lome, according to the country's livestock director, Komla Batawui.

Zero tolerance

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization adviser to the government, Jacques Conforti, says the risk has been contained.

"We focused on free-range poultry, and did not cull poultry in coops in the areas surrounding Agbata. This [the culling] should reduce the risk of the virus spreading to zero."

Conforti says the disinfection has moved along quickly in the past three weeks,

"We do not want to lose any time. We try to disinfect a zone in less than 24 hours before moving to the next at-risk area."

He says officials meet with farmers who point out any sick birds, cull the birds, and pay the farmers for the value of the bird, eggs or bird feed that is destroyed.

Officials have paid close to US$9,000 so far to farmers to compensate them for their losses since the latest outbreak.

That's less than 50 cents a bird. And since they're paying right then and there, it's a very smart investment. Farmers hit by future outbreaks won't conceal sick birds for fear of being left to wait months for compensation.