Bird flu wrecks havoc in west Africa
An official tests poultry at the border with mainland China in Hong Kong on April 11, 2013 as part of measures against the spread of the deadly H7N9 bird flu. Last week, Cameroon also reported an outbreak of the virus. Several thousand birds died at a breeding centre in the capital, Yaounde. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- The poultry disease, which has been spreading across west Africa in the last two years, was reported to be in the country at the end of last month, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Saturday.
NIAMEY
Niger has reported an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus.
The poultry disease, which has been spreading across west Africa in the last two years, was reported to be in the country at the end of last month, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Saturday.
The disease has killed about 86,000 birds so far. The organisation said the latest outbreak in west Africa started in February.
Last week, Cameroon also reported an outbreak of the virus. Several thousand birds died at a breeding centre in the capital, Yaounde.
Authorities in Cameroon’s western region said in a Friday statement that they had banned the transport and sale of domestic fowls after more than 1,500 birds died in a farm in Bayanga, Reuters news agency reported.
The series of outbreaks in west Africa have raised fears of transmission to humans.
Several deaths have been reported in other parts of the world since the H5N1 virus was first detected in people in Hong Kong in 1997.
