Avian flu hits another African nation

Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
Meningitis

April 4, 2006 (CIDRAP News) – The H5N1 virus has sneaked across another border, making Burkina Faso the fifth African nation to lose poultry to the virus.

H5N1 cases have been found on a "camp site" at Gampela, in the Saaba department of Kadiogo province, according to a report Burkina Faso officials filed with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The site is about 6 miles from Ouagadougou, the capital. The report said 123 helmeted guinea fowl died. The cause was confirmed as H5N1 by an OIE reference laboratory in Padova, Italy.

The Burkina Faso minister of animal resources, Toemoko Konate, announced the outbreak in a radio address yesterday that was reported by the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) today.

The small African nation is not prepared to cope with avian flu, international experts warned. Burkina Faso has about 32 million poultry, with 76% of them raised traditionally, IRIN reported.

"Burkina is one of those countries that have particularly weak infrastructure," said Maria Zampaglione, spokeswoman for the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), as quoted in the IRIN story. It ranks as the world's third poorest country in the UN Human Development index in 2005, the story noted.

The country is also battling a meningitis outbreak, which has killed more than 750 people this year, IRIN added.

The OIE and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will send a joint mission to the country to advise leaders there how to respond.

Cameroon, Egypt, Niger, and Nigeria are the other African countries reporting poultry outbreaks to date.

Meanwhile, Pakistan today issued a follow-up report that details two new avian flu outbreaks on commercial poultry farms, one in Charsada, North West Frontier Province, and another in Abbottabad, in the same province. More than 3,000 cases occurred, leading to the slaughter of more than 26,000 birds at the two farms, the report said. The H5N1 virus was first detected in Pakistan in late February.

See also:

Burkina Faso's report to the OIE
http://www.oie.int/downld/AVIAN%20INFLUENZA/A2006_AI.php

OIE follow-up report from Pakistan
http://www.oie.int/downld/AVIAN%20INFLUENZA/Pakistan_AI_04_04_2006.pdf

This week's top reads

  1. Vietnam reports H5N1 avian flu case with encephalitis

    Tests on respiratory samples were negative, but results were positive for the cerebrospinal fluid sample.

    Lisa Schnirring
    ICU monitors

  2. Studies detail high rates of long COVID among healthcare, dental workers

    The most common symptom reported by healthcare workers was fatigue.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    health worker in mask

  3. CIDRAP launches Vaccine Integrity Project to help safeguard US vaccine use

    The steering committee will make recommendations on how non-governmental groups can help ensure that vaccine use is evidence-based.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    MMR vaccine vial on table

  4. Top virologists urge world leaders to act on rising avian flu threat

    Global Virus Network scientists highlight the need for robust surveillance, enhanced biosecurity, and readiness for potential human-to-human viral transmission.

    Mary Van Beusekom

  5. Tick-borne meat allergy may be related to urbanization in mid-Atlantic US

    The study identified open-space development and low population density as risk factors for Alpha-gal syndrome. 

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Lone star tick

  6. US measles cases climb higher, approach 900

    Thirty states have cases, and 83% of infections are part of outbreaks, the largest centered  in West Texas.

    Lisa Schnirring
    young boy with measles

  7. New agreement geared toward universal avian flu vaccine

    The mRNA vaccine targets all major clades of the H5 avian flu subtype.

    Stephanie Soucheray

  8. USDA withdraws proposal to reduce Salmonella in poultry

    The Biden-era rule would have prevented the sale of raw chicken or turkey with certain levels or strains of Salmonella.

    Chris Dall
    Raw poultry in processing plant

  9. Quick takes: Mpox outbreak in Malawi, more H5N1 in Idaho and California dairy cows

    The cases in Malawi bring the number of African countries affected by mpox to 23.

    Lisa Schnirring

  10. Measles cases in Europe, the Americas skyrocket

    Almost 90% of the European cases were reported in Romania.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    measles vax

Our underwriters