ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An unknown disease has ravaged poultry farms in Erbil province. “Every year at this time, I expect to make some money, but then my poultry gets infected with this disease. Some of them live only for one day. My loss is at least five million [dinars],” farmer Dindar Mawlud told Rudaw. This disease has spread to several villages in the Balakayati, Bradost, and Barzan areas of Erbil province. It has only affected poultry in the villages, while those kept in enclosed farms remain unaffected. “The symptoms appear to resemble poisoning, but we need to examine them. If we reach a conclusion through these examinations and identify the disease, we will treat it accordingly,” said Saidawan Omer, head of Soran's veterinary directorate. The infected birds lost their sight and then were dead within two days. Another farmer told Rudaw that most of his hens were infected, forcing him to dispose of 30 to 40 carcasses. There are 168 poultry farms in the Soran administration, in addition to the free-range birds that the villagers have.
