“The mysterious death of chickens at Safa’atoa, Lefaga led to an investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Ministry has now confirmed that the chickens were infected with the contagious disease Fowl Cholera, leading to their demise. Reporter Yolanda Lavatai and Misiona Simo spoke to members of the public to get their views on the issue.  

Spensor Toiva, 23, Vaitele Fou

“The Fowl Cholera disease is a concern because we have a lot of families and tourist that come to Samoa. A lot of them would try our local dishes like Samoan roasted chicken, and if we are not careful, anyone could get sick. That it why it is important that the public are aware of the disease, because it could be their flock that are affected.”

Larry Augustina, 38, Lalovaea

“It is not the first time Samoa has come across a disease with animals, in this case chickens. But as time goes on diseases evolve to the changes, and become difficult to treat. There have been different diseases over as time passed and this is the first I have heard of Fowl Cholera. I know that if we give proper care and hygiene for our animals then we should not be worried. However, this does not mean we should not be attentive.”

Delaine Tuaimau, 19, Nofoalii

“A couple of our chickens died in the past years and it also affected our neighbors too. I am not quite sure if it was the exact same disease, but our parents made sure to rid the affected flock properly. To prevent any further spread, it is best to leave it to the experts, people who know what they are doing. The work is not entirely up to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries — it is all of us.”

Vaital Tili, 17, Vaitele Fou

“We have flock of chickens and I would hate to see them die. I personally think that once a family has noticed the symptoms of the disease, they should report it right away, so the problem can be handled properly. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries should also do follow up with families’ poultry farms too and not wait for the calls.”

Faiva Tagatauli, 25, Vaimoso

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries were quick to respond to the family’s story about their flock of chickens and that’s a good thing. Issues that involve our health or safety require immediate action. Thankfully this is not something we should be afraid of. Otherwise we should just be mindful that there are diseases out there. We should protect our homes from it.”

Aukuso Polamalu, 18, Vaitele Fou

“I think that for now we should just stick to eating imported chicken — for safety. I don’t have any chickens but I do eat chicken and I am concerned for my health and my families as well. Poultry farms should have their flocks checked for safety measures, and I am glad one family has step forward to report the issue, otherwise some of us would not know.”