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Nigeria: As Bird Flu Recurs
EDITORIAL
March 14, 2007
Posted to the web March 14, 2007
Lagos
WHEN the first case of avian flu, a deadly strand of which is H5N1 virus was reported in Nigeria February 2006, government and the general public went into a frenzy of expositions, activities and reassurances that the threat was isolated and containable.
The result had been that, after a few weeks of slap-stick humour and abstentions, Nigerians had gone back to their bird-rearing and eating habits without qualms, believing the re-assurances but not taking up the actual measures that could keep the flu at bay for good.
Now, almost a year later to the day, Nigerians are hearing that the virus carrying the bird flu has spread to 19 (some say 17 or 15) states of the federation. The precursor of that bad news of course was the reported death of an unnamed 22-year-old girl in Lagos State by the Information and National Orientation Minister, Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr., on January 17.
Part of what came out of the death incident had been clinical misdiagnosis of the victim by the hospitals where she had been admitted.
When it first appeared in Nigeria, only a few farms in the Northern region, where seasonal migration of birds from Europe, the Mediterranean and Middle East has been a fact of nature, had been officially listed as habouring poultry infected by bird flu. Lagos State was one of the southern examples.
As at then, government's announced response had been swift and decisive. Farms identified as infected by the flu were ordered to cull the birds. Collaboration was sought from foreign virology experts and world health bodies to proffer technical assistance and experts to study and effect check on the flu's proliferation. The World Health Organization and European Union (EU) offered their help.
To ease the economic loss and burden on affected farmers, government had offered to compensate them to the tune of N250 per bird. And with a sigh of relief, everyone relaxed.
Until January when the alarming news surfaced that rather than being on the decline and extinction, the avian flu had actually been spreading its deadly tentacles across the federation in the North and the South.
Apart from Lagos, cases of infected birds have been reported in Edo, Ebonyi and other southern states.
This development points at one or two adverse conclusions that raise a number of questions about the nation's preparedness and willingness to tackle disasters of epidemic proportions.
For one thing, the rapid spread of the virus across the country without detection was a result of lack of proper surveillance and willingness of farmers to report sign of infection to appropriate authorities. This reluctance, it transpired was a result of government's failure to meet its pledge of minimal compensation to farmers.
And though government has reviewed the figure upwards to N1000 per bird, there could still be lingering reluctance of farmers to report cases of the flu on the suspicion that the government might not really pay the promised compensation.
Another bitter conclusion from the spread of this scourge has been that not enough experts are available in the country with adequate diagnostic tools. The dead girl was reportedly misdiagnosed by two fairly big hospitals in Lagos. Even though government put her death eventually to bird flu, the confirmation to this had to be obtained from WHO and Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in America.
One more alarming conclusion from the spread is the fact Nigerians have become carefree about a disease that when it attacks the human population could be disastrous since known cures are not clear and too expensive for the average citizen.
With a poultry population of about 140 million, 60 per cent of which is kept by back-yard farmers, the risk of contact with the human population is indeed high. And given the poor state of hygiene of our large, urban population, the porous movement of live stock across states and borders, an epidemic of such influenza could be catastrophic.
Therefore, government should be more pro-active in its efforts to contain the spread of the avian flu.
It should begin by assuring farmers that they will suffer minimal or no financial loss by reporting signs of infection promptly.
As a public health issue, provision must be made for those humans who contract the flu, whose whole pathology mimic other known diseases.
Nigerians must also be made better aware of how they can contract avian flu and of preventive measures. Efforts should also be made to ensure that poultry farms are situated close to residential areas where human contact is heightened.
Contaminated farms must be thoroughly certified decontaminated before farmers are permitted to restock.
Poultry forms a relatively cheap source of food protein to millions of Nigerians. An infected population of poultry could wreak havoc due to poor hygiene.
Firm commitment and action must be taken by government to prevent, rather than contain an avian flu epidemic. The sooner we started the better it will be for all concerned.
EDITORIAL
March 14, 2007
Posted to the web March 14, 2007
Lagos
WHEN the first case of avian flu, a deadly strand of which is H5N1 virus was reported in Nigeria February 2006, government and the general public went into a frenzy of expositions, activities and reassurances that the threat was isolated and containable.
The result had been that, after a few weeks of slap-stick humour and abstentions, Nigerians had gone back to their bird-rearing and eating habits without qualms, believing the re-assurances but not taking up the actual measures that could keep the flu at bay for good.
Now, almost a year later to the day, Nigerians are hearing that the virus carrying the bird flu has spread to 19 (some say 17 or 15) states of the federation. The precursor of that bad news of course was the reported death of an unnamed 22-year-old girl in Lagos State by the Information and National Orientation Minister, Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr., on January 17.
Part of what came out of the death incident had been clinical misdiagnosis of the victim by the hospitals where she had been admitted.
When it first appeared in Nigeria, only a few farms in the Northern region, where seasonal migration of birds from Europe, the Mediterranean and Middle East has been a fact of nature, had been officially listed as habouring poultry infected by bird flu. Lagos State was one of the southern examples.
As at then, government's announced response had been swift and decisive. Farms identified as infected by the flu were ordered to cull the birds. Collaboration was sought from foreign virology experts and world health bodies to proffer technical assistance and experts to study and effect check on the flu's proliferation. The World Health Organization and European Union (EU) offered their help.
To ease the economic loss and burden on affected farmers, government had offered to compensate them to the tune of N250 per bird. And with a sigh of relief, everyone relaxed.
Until January when the alarming news surfaced that rather than being on the decline and extinction, the avian flu had actually been spreading its deadly tentacles across the federation in the North and the South.
Apart from Lagos, cases of infected birds have been reported in Edo, Ebonyi and other southern states.
This development points at one or two adverse conclusions that raise a number of questions about the nation's preparedness and willingness to tackle disasters of epidemic proportions.
For one thing, the rapid spread of the virus across the country without detection was a result of lack of proper surveillance and willingness of farmers to report sign of infection to appropriate authorities. This reluctance, it transpired was a result of government's failure to meet its pledge of minimal compensation to farmers.
And though government has reviewed the figure upwards to N1000 per bird, there could still be lingering reluctance of farmers to report cases of the flu on the suspicion that the government might not really pay the promised compensation.
Another bitter conclusion from the spread of this scourge has been that not enough experts are available in the country with adequate diagnostic tools. The dead girl was reportedly misdiagnosed by two fairly big hospitals in Lagos. Even though government put her death eventually to bird flu, the confirmation to this had to be obtained from WHO and Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in America.
One more alarming conclusion from the spread is the fact Nigerians have become carefree about a disease that when it attacks the human population could be disastrous since known cures are not clear and too expensive for the average citizen.
With a poultry population of about 140 million, 60 per cent of which is kept by back-yard farmers, the risk of contact with the human population is indeed high. And given the poor state of hygiene of our large, urban population, the porous movement of live stock across states and borders, an epidemic of such influenza could be catastrophic.
Therefore, government should be more pro-active in its efforts to contain the spread of the avian flu.
It should begin by assuring farmers that they will suffer minimal or no financial loss by reporting signs of infection promptly.
As a public health issue, provision must be made for those humans who contract the flu, whose whole pathology mimic other known diseases.
Nigerians must also be made better aware of how they can contract avian flu and of preventive measures. Efforts should also be made to ensure that poultry farms are situated close to residential areas where human contact is heightened.
Contaminated farms must be thoroughly certified decontaminated before farmers are permitted to restock.
Poultry forms a relatively cheap source of food protein to millions of Nigerians. An infected population of poultry could wreak havoc due to poor hygiene.
Firm commitment and action must be taken by government to prevent, rather than contain an avian flu epidemic. The sooner we started the better it will be for all concerned.
