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Published Date: 2005-12-03 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza - Africa: Preparedness
Archive Number: 20051203.3484

AVIAN INFLUENZA - AFRICA: PREPAREDNESS
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Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
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In this update:
[1] East Africa
[2] North Africa
[3] Ethiopia, die-offs

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[1] East Africa
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Reuters alertnet, 2 Dec 2005 [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L01250665.htm>

Fringed by extinct volcanoes on one side and open plains of savannah
on the other, Lake Nakuru is a sanctuary for millions of wild birds
which flock to its tranquil shores every year.
Hidden in the depths of east Africa's Great Rift Valley, the vast
lake is covered in a sheet of a million frosted-pink flamingos,
cooing as they feed off algae, while great white pelicans, marabou
storks and African fish-eagles circle above. But this haven for
exotic creatures is seen as one of the potential entry points for
deadly bird flu into Africa.
Africa, already struggling under the twin burdens of AIDS and
malaria, is seen as particularly vulnerable to the virus.
"Africa is not like Europe or Asia; we have a different situation
here which means the problems in dealing with bird flu will be
different and specific to Africa," says Robert Hepworth, a United
Nations official who heads the Convention on Migratory Species.
Controlling an outbreak here is likely to be difficult as poultry
farming is often on a small scale and free range.
Bird flu remains hard for people to catch, but there are fears it
could mutate into a form which can pass easily from human to human,
sparking a pandemic in which millions could die.
Few in this area of Kenya, only 160 km from the capital, Nairobi,
know what bird flu is and what it could mean. A few km from Lake
Nakuru, chickens cluck nervously, scattering around the wooden
doorways of the small concrete houses on Pondamalli Estate, while
waddling ducks dip their beaks into nearby pools of sewage.
The towering garbage pile in front of the estate is a perfect
rendezvous for wild birds and domestic birds to intermingle as they
feed off scraps of rubbish. Migratory birds can pass on the virus in
their droppings.
"Wild birds from the lake come here all the time and mix with our
chickens and ducks," says 35-year-old resident Ester Nyamwange, a
mother of five children. "I've heard of bird flu but I don't know
what it means and if our chickens die, we will just bury them because
no one has told us what to do."
People in Pondamalli talk of chickens dying in the area, but add
there is a culture of hiding sick or dead birds, fearing they will
not be able to sell the seemingly healthy ones.
"I think public awareness is essential in preparing Africa should
this bird flu virus reach us," says Philip Nyaga, professor of
virology at the University of Nairobi. "If people know about the
virus and the symptoms, they can respond appropriately and not
[misuse] treatment."
In a small cafe in Nakuru town, a 47-year-old [man] sips from a
bottle of Fanta. A buyer and seller of chickens, he has little faith
the government will compensate him if he has to slaughter his birds.
"I keep around 500 chickens and if the government tells me to kill my
chickens, it will be very difficult for me to do," he says. "I don't
know how the government will compensate all the farmers -- where is
the money going to come from?"
Experts also worry about how Africa could cope with human cases of
bird flu. Some warn that Africa could be sidelined as it battles for
its share of anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu, seen as one of the
best defenses against the disease. Experts also warn of a shortage of
hospital places and the lack of expertise on the ground. Vast areas
remain remote or inaccessible due to civil conflict or harsh terrain,
making it difficult to reach and inform local populations.
[Byline: Nita Bhalla]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A TV report on the Avian influenza surveillance activities in Kenya,
showing the sampling of wild ducks in Lake Elmenteita, the Rift
valley, was shown by BBC World News on 2 Dec 2005. Accessible at
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_4490000/newsid_4490800/nb_rm_4490878.stm>.
- Mod.AS]
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[2]
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Reuters alertnet, 1 Dec 2005 [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L01547067.htm>

Morocco and neighbour Algeria have drawn up plans to combat the
spread of deadly bird flu which experts believe could arrive in North
Africa within months. The main threat is seen as coming early in
2006, when migratory birds return from other parts of the continent.
The H5N1 bird flu strain is known to have killed almost 70 people in
Asia and experts fear it may now be spread to Africa by birds flying
from Russia. "Bird flyways from Russia and central Europe take them
to eastern and central Africa. It is there that they could mix with
other birds that would be heading back to North Africa in the
spring," said Mohamed El Haouadfi, professor of avian pathology at
Rabat's Hassan II Agronomy and Veterinary Institute.
"We have a few months to prepare," he told Reuters.
Billions of birds migrate to Africa every year in search of warmer
climates. Birds from Russia fly via eastern Europe and congregate in
areas like the Rift Valley in East Africa. Migratory birds from
western Europe, where there have been no major H5N1 bird flu cases,
use Morocco and Algeria as staging posts in their flight south.
"Algeria is crossed by flows coming from Western Europe," said
Abdesselem Chelghoum, secretary general at the Algerian agriculture ministry.
Moroccan authorities fear that the large number of backyard farms, as
in other parts of Africa, makes the country particularly vulnerable
if bird flu takes hold. Backyard farms in Asia have been one reason
why the virus has become in endemic there and caused so many human cases.
Morocco has a total poultry flock approaching 200 million birds,
including 16 million egg-laying hens. Most are kept enclosed in
industrial breeding houses, which are strictly controlled. However,
some 30 million are in local smallholdings, where they live in close
proximity to people.
"This is the real problem for us and there's no easy answer to
controlling the disease there," El Haouadfi said.
The government has also been building stocks of anti-viral treatments
to help deal with any eventual mutation of the H5N1 strain into one
that can be passed easily between humans.
Experts fear that if this happens, it could unleash an influenza
pandemic potentially killing millions of people.
But the focus of Morocco's plan is on stopping the virus spreading
among poultry. Some 60 sites, mostly lakes and wetlands, have been
identified as potential "hotspots" for infected migratory birds. Any
dead birds found at these sites are tested. None so far has any shown
signs of the H5N1 strain.
Live bird imports from infected countries have been banned.
El Haouadfi said compensation would be made available to farmers for
any culled birds, otherwise they may be reluctant to come forward in
reporting cases.
Algeria, with 130 million chickens, has also put plans in place. The
agriculture ministry will distribute information notes to breeders
and the general public on its potential arrival, state news agency APS said.
"Prevention is the main measure. We're focused on banning imports of
some avian products and birds," Chelghoum said.
[Byline: David Evans]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[3]
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005
From: Christian Griot <Christian.Griot@ivi.admin.ch>
Source: ABC net, Australia, 3 Dec 2005 [edited]
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1522754.htm]
Authorities in Ethiopia are testing hundreds of dead birds in the
country's east for a possible outbreak of bird flu.
Ethiopian scientists have travelled to the region near the country's
border with Somalia to test dead pigeons for a possible outbreak of avian flu.
Government officials say Ethiopia is on high alert for bird flu after
the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain from Asia to Europe.
However, the presence of bird flu has yet to be confirmed in the dead
birds and officials say it is unlikely.
A similar alert in Kenya this week proved a false alarm when no trace
of influenza was found.
Bird migration patterns make Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania
high-risk areas for the spread of bird flu.
[Byline: Zoe Daniel]
--
Christian Griot
<Christian.Griot@ivi.admin.ch>

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