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