Bird flu hits Niger

Bird flu hits Niger
Niger has become the third country in Africa and the sixteenth country in the world to be hit by the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.

The Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) confirmed on Monday, the infection of poultry in two different towns of Niger. “The virus was present in domestic ducks. The samples concern two centers in Niger, one at Magaria very close to the border with Nigeria, and the other at San Barde,” informed OIE spokeswoman Maria Zampaglione. Soon after the reports of deaths of migratory birds and domestic fowl reached them, the authorities of Niger sent samples to the OIE for testing.

Earlier this month the virus reached the African continent when it hit Nigeria followed by Egypt. Given the fact that Niger shares a 1,500 Km boundary with Nigeria, experts had anticipated the outbreak. “It's not a surprise given that ever since the infections in Nigeria we warned its neighbors to step up surveillance and control because we were expecting this,” said Ms Zampaglione.

Experts have blamed the lack of transparency in the efforts, on the part of Nigeria, to prevent the spreading. “The measures of confinement were not taken and transparency was not applied from the beginning [in Nigeria],” said Bernard Vallat, director of the OIE. “Now we know that all of the neighboring countries of Nigeria are under a very big threat.”

Being one of the poorest nations in the world Niger has been hit very badly. With news of the outbreak, the already weak chicken market in Niger has almost shut down. “The panic is actually causing more problems and if we continue this way, in the next week, our economy would be badly affected,” said Dora Akunyili, head of the Food and Drug Administration and Control, a government agency of Niger.