Avian influenza is a extremely contagious viral an infection of birds, generally referred to as “bird flu”, which has been recurring in Nigeria since 2006. It has resulted in the lack of tens of millions of birds and earnings for individuals who rely on the poultry business. Nigeria is presently grappling with one other outbreak which began in 2021.
The Conversation Africa requested Clement Meseko, a virologist and knowledgeable on animal influenza, to clarify the illness’s re-occurrences
What is bird flu? How does it unfold? Is it harmful to people?
Bird flu is scientifically often called avian influenza and the pathogenic type as extremely pathogenic avian influenza. It is a illness in birds (particularly poultry) brought on by an influenza virus. It is extremely pathogenic, that means it causes tissue and organ harm within the host, and may kill greater than 75% of the contaminated flock.
Waterfowls like geese are pure reservoirs of the illness. They can harbour avian flu with out displaying any signs. Many waterfowls and different wild birds are migratory, transferring throughout and between continents – this brings them into contact with resident birds and home poultry. Their physique secretions and excretions might comprise virus that may then infect different birds and poultry.
The signs in contaminated poultry embody sudden dying, respiratory misery, cough and haemorrhages in tissue and organs. Other animals, together with pigs, horses and canines may also be contaminated – and so can people. In reality, it is zoonotic and due to this fact may be deadly for people too. Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus infections have contaminated greater than 880 folks with about 50% case fatality globally.
The virus additionally has the capability to trigger a pandemic: an influenza virus of avian origin, however not the presently circulating pressure, precipitated the 1918 pandemic that finally killed about 50 million folks – worse than the present COVID-19 pandemic.
How many outbreaks have there been in Nigeria since 2006?
Nigeria’s first outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in January 2006, the first epidemic in poultry in Africa. It killed tens of millions of birds and tens of millions extra have been culled to comprise its unfold. The financial and livelihood loss was enormous because the illness unfold all around the nation with 100% mortality in lots of circumstances. The estimate of the financial price of bird flu outbreak in Nigeria was over 9 billion Nigerian naira (about US$32 million) – with folks dropping funding, livelihood and jobs.
The illness was introduced beneath management by 2008 because of stringent biosecurity measures like depopulation (culling), decontamination and management of poultry motion. In 2015 one other pressure emerged in Nigeria. Since then, new strains keep appearing.
Live bird markets, widespread throughout Nigeria, are the details of unfold of bird flu whereas wetlands are the factors of preliminary transmissions. Local waterfowls and different birds that will harbour avian flu come into contact with different bird species and with folks. In 2006, 312 circumstances and in 2015, 256 outbreaks of extremely pathogenic avian influenza have been recorded.
What ought to Nigeria be doing in another way?
The illness might turn into endemic in Nigeria if circulation steady and detection of the identical pressure is established. If a illness is continually circulating in reservoir hosts it is going to result in spill over to poultry and people.
If that’s the case, biosecurity measures should be stepped up. For occasion, the federal government might contemplate different measures along with biosecurity. This might embody managed and controlled vaccination. There are vaccines. They have been utilized in Egypt, China, Indonesia with a combination of failure and success. Vaccines solely scale back the impression of the illness however don’t stop an infection or re-infection.
Those within the agricultural sector additionally have to introduce efficient management measures at dwell bird markets and in the way in which poultry is traded extra broadly. Measures would come with restructuring the dwell bird markets, discouraging the blending of species, the introduction of plastic cages and crates that may be simply cleaned and disinfected. Frequent cleansing, disinfection and decontamination of dwell bird market environments is crucial for illness containment.
You’ve described as Nigeria was an “ecological sink” for such viruses. Please clarify
In the analysis that examined the outbreak of the 2015-2016 bird flu, we discovered that west Africa was the epicentre of the virus that was later present in different sub-Saharan African areas – the central, jap and southern African nations. In specific, inside west Africa, Nigeria was crucial level of virus introduction and a central hub within the virus unfold.
Bird flu is principally launched into Nigeria by means of the presence and actions of untamed birds. For occasion, within the 2015-2016 outbreak we recognized 4 virus introductions into Nigeria seemingly from east Europe.
These birds journey throughout continents and nations by means of a number of worldwide migratory routes, in a lot the identical approach that airways transfer the world over on designated routes. Three major wild bird migratory routes from Asia and Europe transverse Nigeria. That’s excellent news for biodiversity however dangerous information for illness management.
Bird watchers and ornithologists have discovered that migratory birds from Europe transfer into Nigeria yearly in the course of the chilly harmattan season (November – February). This is the height time for avian flu outbreaks.
Nigeria is essentially the most affected African nation when it comes to the frequency and burden of avian flu. This makes it the vacation spot “sink” of the strains which may be circulating in Europe at any given time.
Because we will’t change birds’ routes or habits, it could be as much as Nigerian authorities to ensure it retains its native birds and folks as protected as attainable. This would come with surveillance of untamed birds at wetlands and the monitoring of viral infections. Early detection is important for early warning, danger evaluation and management of an infection.
