Commentary
H5N1 Spread Across Northern Nigeria
Recombinomics Commentary 18:47
July 28, 2008
Detailed epidemiological investigation is being conducted, but available evidence so far suggest contact with wild birds may have led to the infection.
The event is resolved. No more reports will be submitted.
A small backyard flock with mixed species of local chickens, Guinea fowls and ducks
A commercial backyard poultry flock, but the owner keeps few ducks within the premises
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.
The above comments are from two recent OIE filings by Nigeria. The first filing, on 7/22/08 described two H5N1 positive birds identified during routine surveillance at wet markets. The positives did not lead to culling and the evens were considered “resolved” as noted above.
However, the positives were at opposite ends of northern Nigeria (see satellite map) suggesting the H5N1 was more widespread than the two positive birds, and may extend into Niger, which was the case for outbreaks in early 2006.
The second filing, two days later, described outbreaks on two farms, which were both in northern Nigeria, but at locations far from each other and far from the wet markets, suggesting H5N1 was present throughout northern Nigeria and likely in neighboring countries.
The second reported noted that both commercial outbreaks included waterfowl, lending support to the earlier report which suggested wild birds may have been the H5N1 source for the outbreaks.
Although Nigeria has not reported H5N1 since the beginning of 2007, new outbreaks are not a surprise. Nigeria is located at the intersection of three major flyways and more infections are expected, including locations near Lagos, along the southern coast of Nigeria and neighboring countries.
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