U.S. Specialists To Help Nigeria Fight Bird Flu Outbreaks
United Nations urges neighboring nations to step up containment efforts
By Charlene Porter
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington – U.S. specialists in human and animal health are heading to Nigeria to assist the West African nation contend with outbreaks of avian influenza in commercial poultry operations.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), confirm that specialists will arrive in Nigeria February 14.
HHS/CDC staff stationed at an ongoing infectious disease program in Kenya will also go to the West African state to assist, according to a statement issued from CDC headquarters in Atlanta February 13.
The U.S. specialists will join an international team whose members are experts from major international health organizations. A veterinary team from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is in place to assess what emergency measures are needed.
Assessment of the national avian influenza prevention and control ::
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLprevention and control emergency plan in. Cameroon. Interagency team for rapid assessment of the avian influenza situation in. Nigeria, Benin, Niger
http://mirror.undp.org/gabon/avianflu/avianflu_fichiers/Doc reference/Cameroon report english.pdfHOME |
CONTAINMENT IN WEST AFRICA
A February 10 FAO statement emphasized the importance of containment and the need for action to prevent further spread of the H5N1 virus from Kaduna state, where it was first detected in a commercial poultry operation.
The Rome-based organization is urging that the transport of poultry in agriculture commerce be stopped because the virus is known to spread via the movement of infected birds.
The FAO and the Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are calling on Nigerian authorities to shut down poultry markets in the affected state and its neighbors.
The international organizations also recommend the adoption of disease-surveillance measures in the nations surrounding Nigeria -- Benin, Cameroon Chad, Ghana, Niger and Togo.
“We are aware that veterinary services in Nigeria are in need of international support,” said Joseph Domenech, FAO’s chief veterinary officer February 8, when the Nigeria outbreak first was reported.
“The animal health infrastructure in the country is facing a big challenge,” he added, “and will require outside assistance.”
Standard procedures recommended by the international organizations upon detection of contagious animal disease include widespread culling.
Nigerian authorities already have taken that step, reporting the destruction of more than 40,000 animals to the OIE.
Nigeria’s minister of agriculture announced that farmers losing animals to culling will be compensated for the property, a statement welcomed by the international organizations. Fear of the economic loss of livestock can give farmers reason to hide their animals from culling operations, allowing the virus to spread.
VIRUS CONTROL IN ITALY
Italian health officials moved extremely effectively to implement control measures after H5N1 was detected in wild swans in southern Italy.
“The measures are an example of how governments should move to contain the virus once it is detected,” said Juan Lubroth, an official with FAO’s animal health division.
A February 13 FAO statement also said no evidence exists that the disease has moved beyond this small population of wild fowl into the domesticated poultry population.
Commercial poultry farms will adopt a regimen to ensure that does not happen by confining poultry to prevent exposure to a disease possibly carried by wild birds and by maintaining other hygiene and sanitation standards.
The FAO statement also expressed confidence that European veterinary services and livestock-care methods are sufficient to contain the disease.
The full text of the FAO statement is available on the organization’s Web site, as are previous statements from the Rome-based agency that warned the lack of that experience and capability in Africa, especially eastern Africa, could lead to an explosive spread of disease in animals, and then humans.
MORE HUMAN CASES
H5N1 is primarily and most significantly an animal disease. But it has infected humans in almost 170 cases, resulting in more than 90 deaths in seven nations.
Even though those numbers have crept steadily upward, epidemiologists call them quite small considering that hundreds of millions of birds and probably millions of humans have been exposed to H5N1 from East Asia through Central Asia, southeastern Europe and now Africa.
H5N1 does not transmit to humans with ease, but health officials warn that it could mutate to develop that capability, setting in motion the conditions for pandemic influenza.
The World Health Organization issued two updates February 13 on the occurrence of avian influenza in humans.
From China comes report of the nation’s 12th confirmed human case of the disease in a 20-year-old female farmer from Hunan province who died February 4.
In the past one year, Lincoln University has been involved in a ::
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLinvolvement and awareness of Nigerian military personnel in the prevention and control. of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Sexually Transmitted
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The Nigeria HIV prevention program over the next 2years will adopt a new strategic thrust. To this end, a review of current efforts at prevention shows that
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In Indonesia, the ministry of health has confirmed two more human fatalities from H5N1, both in subdistricts of West Java province.
Indonesia has documented 18 deaths from avian influenza since 2005. Of the seven nations to report human cases, only Vietnam has experienced more deaths.
For additional information on the disease and efforts to combat it, see Bird Flu.
The United States has been at the forefront of international activity to contribute to pandemic preparedness. See pandemicflu.gov for more information.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=February&x=20060213143149cmretrop0.6096613&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
NIGERIA: BIRD FLU NOT OVER, SAYS VETERINARY ASSOCIATION
Kingsley Nwezeh (Asaba)
July 10, 2006
Secretary-General, Nigerian Veterinary Association, Dr Bala Mohammed, has said in spite of assurances by the Federal Government to the effect that bird flu was a forgone conclusion, the disease was yet to be eradicated.
Mohammed said the deadly H5N1 bird flu has hit Nigeria repeatedly according to recent research findings in spite of government assurances.
According to him, "there has been some kind of a resurgence in Taraba and Lagos states. Some people believe the bird flu had gone, but for those on the job, the heat is on. We have new cases in Lagos and Taraba states."
Researchers said Nigeria may have been hit by different strains of bird flu, raising the risk of human infection.
Experts warn that unless the Nigerian outbreak is effectively dealt with, there is now a real chance that the virus could become transmissible among humans, leading to the possibility of a pandemic.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative in Nigeria, Helder Muteia, said surveillance is being stepped up to get a clearer picture of the current outbreak.
"We have designed an active surveillance programme, because we have to know. Until this moment, we had a very passive surveillance strategy.
"So, let us have an active surveillance. That means to go to the field and to find out what is going on there, instead of waiting for people to announce any outbreak. We are starting an active surveillance very soon to know exactly what is going on."
"A whole lot of problems that I feel will have to be sorted out. Until things are done properly, until regulatory agencies collaborate, until we get either remotely or actively get farmers to report cases, we would not get out of the problem,"he said.
The World Health Organization says the flu has infected 223 people since December 2003, killing more than 130 worldwide.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200607101174.html
$6 000 divided by 48 farms = about $125 per farmer...
***
NIGERIAN GOVT PAYS $6 000 TO FARMERS OVER BIRD FLU
July 7, 2006 (By ANDnetwork.com) Nigerian Guardian
The Federal Government on Thursday made the second-batch of relief payment totalling about $6 000 to 48 poultry farmers whose birds were killed as a result of the bird flu epidemic in Garaku Local Council in Nasarawa State.
The first batch of payment was made to poultry farmers in the state on 5 April 2006.
The relief payment, which was conducted at the Garaku Local Council Secretariat, is part of government's efforts to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the bird flu amongst poultry farmers.
Present to witness the payment were senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Livestock and Pest Control Department, the Director, Nasarawa State Veterinary Services, Francis Danboyi and his Deputy, Alhaji Dalhatu Umar.
Also present at the occasion were the Director of Agriculture, Lydia Kigbo, Dr Maiwada of the state Animal Production Department, an official of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, officials of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and security personnel.
The recipients expressed their gratitude to the government for its gesture and pledged their co-operation with government's efforts in stamping out bird flu from the country.
Already, the government has disbursed about $800 000 as relief to farmers whose birds were killed at the following rates: chicken $2; duck $8; goose $8; turkey $20; emu $78; and ostrich $160.
Meanwhile, the country's efforts at containing the flu in the country have received global recognition and commendation. At the World Bank's Avian Flu Project, Nigeria received the 2006 African Award for Excellence on June 28, 2006 in Washington DC, United States of America.
Out of 26 nominations, 12 awards were given in different categories at a ceremony, which attracted the cream of the international community.
Other countries nominated include Tanzania, for health sector development; Kenya, for economic recovery strategy support credit, and Ethiopia, for protection of basic services.
On 26 October 2005, in a proactive move, the Federal Executive Council approved the constitution of the National Preparedness and Action Plan in anticipation of a possible HPAI outbreak in Nigeria.
Before this date (October 2004), President Olusegun Obasanjo had directed the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mallam Adamu Bello, to establish in conjunction with the Veterinary Association of Nigeria, an Avian Influenza Technical Surveillance Committee for Nigeria following which 170 migratory sample collection points were established in the country for random sampling/test for the Avian influenza virus.
The first outbreak of Avian influenza was reported in Kaduna State in February 2006. Since then, the government has deployed human and material resources to ensure the speedy containment of the disease.
Source (http://www.birdflubreakingnews.com/templates/birdflu/window.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwestafrica.andnetwork. com%2Findex%3Fservice%3Ddirect%2F1%2FHome%2Frecent .fullStory%26sp%3Dl43398)
NIGERIA: EU LAUNCHES SURVEILLANCE ON BIRD FLU
By Malachy Uzendu (Daily Champion, Lagos)
September 21, 2006
Concerted efforts to combat the deadly strain of HSN Avian Influenza, otherwise known as 'bird flu' will be stepped up today with the launch of a surveillance programme aimed at bridging the gap associated with the disease.
United Nations Childrens' Fund (UNICEF) in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, said the primary aim of the surveillance programme is to "bridge the huge gap in federal and state reporting on the bird flu."
The statement cited an unnamed laboratory study which indicated that as at today, "40 local government areas in 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja have confirmed the presence of the influenza.
"Although no deaths have been reported in Nigeria, the global figure for death arising from the influenza as at September is 144 deaths from 247 AI human infections."
Based on this information, UNICEF will today launch the surveillance at the United Nations office, Abuja, where the Agriculture minister and UN Resident Co-ordinator will address the press.
Source (http://allafrica.com/stories/200609210587.html)
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