MAY 5 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001025

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP
USDA FOR APHIS
USDA FOR WAYNE MOLSTAD/OSEC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI AVIANFLU
SUBJECT: MAY 5 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE

REF: ABUJA 931


1. Summary. Nigeria's human- and animal-surveillance
systems for AI remain deficient. No human cases of H5N1
infection have been confirmed in Nigeria. Villagers in Dong
Village, Plateau State ate in early April culled or AI-
infected birds but don't exhibit symptoms of AI. Plateau
State has exhausted its funds for active surveillance, and
no surveillance or rapid-response team is in place there.
An MOA official said of compensation to farmers that they
will be paid "when the time comes." An MOH official
observed that some Nigerians believe that because they are
so "challenged" by disease and their environment, survivors
are immune to AI. An MOA official said that, for unknown
reasons, the Vom laboratory is providing test results from
bird samples only slowly. Kano State has Nigeria's highest
number of AI outbreaks but has provided the smallest number
of bird samples for testing. Bauchi State veterinarians
were not "empowered" to carry out their duties. End
summary.


2. Economic officer attended on May 3 the meeting of the
Government of Nigeria (GON) avian influenza (AI) technical
group. No reported human cases of H5N1 infection have been
confirmed in Nigeria. The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)
reported that Nigeria's last outbreak of AI occurred in
Bauchi State on the Bala integrated farm, where the outbreak
became evident on April 18 and was confirmed April 20. Of
the farm's 16,228 birds, 1,412 died, and the remainder were
culled. The farm was decontaminated.

Kaduna State Mortality Study
--------------


3. The Ministry of Health (MOH) carried out a community-
based mortality survey in Kaduna State on April 28-May 1 to
identify human AI cases not identified by a deficient
surveillance system. The MOH examined deaths that occurred
from Dec. 1, 2005 to May 1, 2006 in communities with
reported AI outbreaks in animals, and it randomly selected
six such communities from the 13 in Kaduna with confirmed
poultry outbreaks. In this period, 13 deaths occurred among
452 persons who lived in a total of 103 households. Five of
these deaths occurred among children aged four or younger;
only one of the dead persons lived to age 65. One of the
dead, a two-year old girl, died of an "influenza-like
illness" and had a history of contact with dead backyard
poultry. Authorities are considering requesting her body be
exhumed for an autopsy. The MOH concluded that the survey
"points at the possibility" of missed human cases of H5N1
not picked up by existing surveillance. The study also
urged period mortality surveys be conducted, the
strengthening of existing active and passive surveillance
for human AI, and the start of AI sentinel surveillance
using hospital facilities as sentinel sites.

Plateau villagers eat infected birds, but no human cases
-------------- --------------


4. An MOH team went to Plateau State on April 27-28
following reports that persons in Dong village had eaten in
early April either culled or AI-infected birds. There were
conflicting reports on whether the birds were buried,
although without quicklime, or simply heaped up. Dong has
about 3,000 extended-family members, and about 31 of its
households were "exposed" to the dumping site of the dead
chickens. The MOH team surveyed 21 randomly selected
households of the 31 and found that "all the villagers were
scrambling for culled birds" and "almost all" of the
villagers ate dead chickens, which were raised about 2 km
away. Police accompanying the vehicle transporting the dead
birds to Dong also asked the villagers to cook some of these
birds for them. The team carried out a survey of possible
human AI cases in Dong and delivered 20 doses of Tamiflu to
Plateau State. None of the Dong villagers have exhibited
symptoms of AI. The funds available to Plateau State to
carry out active surveillance have been exhausted, and no
surveillance or rapid-response team is in place in Plateau
State. An MOH team member who visited Dong appealed for the
GON to pay compensation to owners of culled birds. An MOA
official replied only that farmers would be paid "when the
time comes."


5. An MOH official observed that some Nigerians believe that
because they are so "challenged" by disease and their
environment, those who have not succumbed to other illnesses
are immune to AI. He added that villagers even have eaten
culled birds that were burned using gasoline. An MOA
official said this demonstrated the need for education on AI
for "country people" and farmers, who must be shown how to
dispose of all dead birds, because these persons
historically eat birds that die of disease. An MOA official
said that, for unknown reasons, the Vom laboratory is
providing test results from bird samples only slowly.

Information on Kano State outbreaks
--------------


6. The GON reported April 26 that some farmers in Kano State
whose farms were culled and decontaminated had restocked
their farms without approval, and without waiting the
necessary interval to do so safely. Kano, Bauchi, and
Kaduna States, and to some extent Plateau State, have active
new outbreaks on farms that had previous outbreaks. Because
Kano State has Nigeria's highest number of AI outbreaks but
has provided the smallest number of bird samples, Kano State
veterinarians now will send for testing samples from every
outbreak. The government also noted that Kano is not
enforcing sufficiently restrictions on the movement of
poultry and poultry products. The federal government
reported that Bauchi State veterinarians were not
"empowered" to carry out their duties.
CAMPBELL