_|FAO: New bird flu strain detected in Nigeria - FAO calls for increased surveillance|_

[ironorehopper]

New bird flu strain detected in Nigeria - FAO calls for increased surveillance

11 August 2008, Rome -

A strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza previously not recorded in sub-Saharan Africa has been detected in Nigeria for the first time, FAO said today.

Nigeria has recently reported two new Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks in the states of Katsina and Kano.

Laboratory results from Nigeria and an FAO reference laboratory in Italy show that the newly discovered virus strain is genetically different from the strains that circulated in Nigeria during earlier outbreaks in 2006 and 2007.

The new strain has never been reported before in Africa; it is more similar to strains previously identified in Europe (Italy), Asia (Afghanistan) and the Middle East (Iran) in 2007.

“The detection of a new avian influenza virus strain in Africa raises serious concerns as it remains unknown how this strain has been introduced to the continent,” warned Scott Newman, International Wildlife Coordinator of FAO’s Animal Health Service.

“It seems to be unlikely that wild birds have carried the strain to Africa, since the last migration of wild birds from Europe and Central Asia to Africa occurred in September 2007 and this year’s southerly migration into Africa has not really started yet,” Newman said.

“It could well be that there are other channels for virus introduction: international trade, for example, or illegal and unreported movement of poultry. This increases the risk of avian influenza spread to other countries in Western Africa.”

Swift reporting
“Uncertainty about virus spread and transmission is a major challenge for control campaigns. Increased surveillance is key to monitor the situation and keep track of virus spread,” said FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech.

“FAO greatly appreciates Nigeria’s swift reporting and sharing of the relevant information about this new virus strain.”

Since the avian influenza epidemic caused by the H5N1 strain started five years ago in Asia, the disease has affected over 60 countries; the vast majority of countries have succeeded to eliminate the virus from poultry.

In Nigeria, the virus was first confirmed in February 2006 and infected poultry in 25 states before being contained.

FAO supports affected countries and countries at risk to detect bird flu outbreaks at a very early stage. FAO has also contributed to an efficient global response to HPAI.

In Nigeria, FAO has a team of animal health experts and veterinary epidemiologists working with the government and its veterinary services.

FAO has assisted the government with disease surveillance and outbreak investigations, as well as establishing a stockpile of veterinary drugs both at central and state levels. FAO and the Federal Government of Nigeria have identified priority areas where animal health and transboundary animal disease prevention measures need to be improved.

“Many countries have succeeded in getting the virus under control; but as long as avian influenza remains endemic in some countries, the international community needs to be on alert. Both, at risk and affected countries have to keep a high level of surveillance,” Domenech said.

Contact:
Erwin Northoff
Media Relations, FAO
erwin.northoff@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 53105
(+39) 348 252 3616
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http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/...909/index.html
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[HenryN]

The migration of clade 2.2.3 to Nigeria is NOT a surprise.

[Sally Furniss]

FluTrackers thread on Katsina and Kano Poultry outbreaks

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?p=172134

[AlaskaDenise]

I'd asked what route, but Niman's earlier commentary ( http://www.recombinomics.com/News/07...ria_North.html ) has:

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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[Sally Furniss]

Maps showing location of flyways

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76551

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDenise

I'd asked what route, but Niman's earlier commentary ( http://www.recombinomics.com/News/07...ria_North.html ) has:



.

This is a re-run of what happened in Europe almost exactly a year ago. At the end of June at the Options VI meeting in Toronto, Illaria Capua declared Europe free of H5N1 in wild birds, relying on the negative data by conservation groups, and the limited number of outbreaks in Europe in late 2006 / early 2007. Then in the middle of summer, when long range migration was minimal, there was an outbreak in the Czech Republic, within minutes of the Capua speech.

Although the initial outbreak was in poultry, H5N1 was reported in wild birds in the Czech Republic as well as Germany and France. Initially, the outbreaks in Germany were almost exclusively in wild birds. It was widespread and all isolates were clade 2.2.3 (Uvs Lake strain).

The outbreak in the summer indicated clade 2.2.3 had become endemic in the wild bird population, but conservation groups and ProMED tried to place the blame elsewhere (like imported falcons from Kuwait because clade 2.2.3 had been reported in Kuwait in Feb 2007).

As expected, clade 2.2.3 spread throughout Europe and the Middle East, and every reported isolate in Europe in late 2007 / early 2008 was clade 2.2.3 and the vast majority were the Uvs Lake strain.

Now the scenario is being repeated in Africa, and once again the conservation groups are in denial about wild birds, and FAO is "confused".

The introduction of 2.2.3 and the response from the usual suspects is not unexpected.

[AlaskaDenise]

So it's now become established in asymptomatic local non-migratory Nigerian wild birds?

Will Nigeria be able to control their poultry flocks as well as other areas? isn't there a higher incidence of backyard (susceptible) flocks?

It amazes me that this disease can become so widespread in Africa, Europe, and Asia; yet avoid the Americas.

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[HenryN]

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/08...geria_223.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/08...geria_223.html

Commentary

H5N1 Clade 2.2.3 Migrates Into Nigeria
Recombinomics Commentary 12:06
August 11, 2008

A strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza previously not recorded in sub-Saharan Africa has been detected in Nigeria for the first time, FAO said today.

The new strain has never been reported before in Africa; it is more similar to strains previously identified in Europe (Italy), Asia (Afghanistan) and the Middle East (Iran) in 2007.

The above comments describe the migration of clade 2.2.3 into Africa. This is not unexpected. Almost exactly one year ago, clade 2.2.3 was detected in the heart of Europe (Czech Republic, Germany, and France). The vast majority of the outbreaks were in wild birds, even though migration in Europe in the middle of the summer is minimal. The widespread outbreaks indicated H5N1 had become endemic in wild birds and the reservoir in resident birds lead to the outbreaks in domestic poultry.

Clade 2.2.3 then expanded in the fall and winter. All reported isolates in Europe were clade 2.2.3 and the vast majority, including those detected over the summer, were the Uvs Lake strain.

Therefore it is likely that the clade 2.2.3 in Nigeria is also the Uvs Lake strain, although that is not clear from the description above. However, the isolates cited were from the Capua lab, who did the sequencing of the 2008 isolates in Nigeria, and the failure to mention Uvs Lake isolates is likely more linked to what the Capua lab has sequenced previously, rather than the closest match with public sequences, which were from northern Europe, the Middle East, Uvs Lake, and South Korea / Japan.

Although clade 2.2.3 has not been reported previously in Egypt, the most recent isolates were acquiring clade 2.2.3 polymorphisms via homologous recombination.


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[HenryN]

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/08...AO_Denial.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/08...AO_Denial.html

Commentary

FAO Still In Denial Over H5N1 In Wild Birds
Recombinomics Commentary 13:39
August 11, 2008

“The detection of a new avian influenza virus strain in Africa raises serious concerns as it remains unknown how this strain has been introduced to the continent,” warned Scott Newman, International Wildlife Coordinator of FAO’s Animal Health Service.

“It seems to be unlikely that wild birds have carried the strain to Africa, since the last migration of wild birds from Europe and Central Asia to Africa occurred in September 2007 and this year’s southerly migration into Africa has not really started yet,” Newman said.

“It could well be that there are other channels for virus introduction: international trade, for example, or illegal and unreported movement of poultry. This increases the risk of avian influenza spread to other countries in Western Africa.”

The above comments from the FAO press release indicates conservation groups and FAO are still in denial about the role of wild birds in the spread of clade 2.2 H5N1 into Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, which began over 3 years ago, when the Qinghai strain of H5N1 migrated to Russia and Mongolia in the summer of 2005, and then spread into approximately 50 countries west of China in the 2005/2006 season.

A year later, in the summer of 2006 a sub-clade (the Uvs Lake strain) was identified in a massive wild bird outbreak at Uvs Lake in Mongolia near the Russian boarder. This clade 2.2.3 strain was subsequently reported in South Korea and Japan at the end of 2006, followed by Kuwait at the beginning of 2007. Although the Uvs Lake strain of clade 2.2.3 was not reported in central Europe in late 2006 and early 2007, and Illaria Capua declared European wild birds as being H5N1 free at the Options VI meeting in Toronto at the end of June, 2007, widespread wild bird outbreaks were reported in the Czech Republic, Germany, and France over the summer, followed by clade 2.2.3 throughout Europe and the Middle East at the end of 2007 beginning of 2008.

Therefore, migration to east Africa was expected. H5N1 sequences from Egypt in the 2007/2008 season acquired clade 2.2.3 polymorphisms, indicating the sub-clade was migrating through the region. Although clade 2.2.3 was not reported previously, the surveillance of H5N1 in Africa is poor and most outbreaks appear in domestic poultry, because wild bird deaths are not well monitored.

Thus, the presence of clade 2.2.3 in resident birds is below the surveillance radar, as it was a year ago in Europe. However, this H5N1 eventually causes outbreaks in poultry, which the FAO and consultants describe as having a mysterious origin, as they try to link to trade.

After three years of transmission and transport of clade 2.2 H5N1 by wild birds throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, it is time for FAO to revise its press releases and increase surveillance in dead wild birds, since the assays and techniques of the conservation groups do not have the sensitivity to detect H5N1 in live wild birds.


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[HenryN]

Wild birds maybe caused new flu strain -Nigeria
12 Aug 2008 15:13:45 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Camillus Eboh
ABUJA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Infected migratory birds from Europe or Central Asia were probably to blame for spreading a new strain of H5N1 bird flu to Africa, Nigeria's chief bird flu expert said on Tuesday.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported on Monday that the strain of avian influenza recently found in Nigeria was genetically different from the strains in previous African outbreaks. Mohammed Saidu, head of Nigeria's bird flu control programme, said the H5N1 strain was discovered last month in a duck at a poultry market in northeast Gombe state.
"Since that location is among the 24 wetlands we have in Nigeria and along the two migratory routes, we suspect that the strain could have come from the migratory birds," Saidu said.
A senior FAO official on Monday expressed doubts that wild birds carried the strain to Africa since this year's southerly migration has yet to begin.
Scott Newman, International Wildlife Coordinator of FAO's Animal Health Service, said the virus may have instead reached the continent via international trade.
In late July, Africa's most populous country discovered its first cases of H5N1 bird flu virus in almost 10 months. The virus, which can spread to humans, was found in poultry markets in the northern cities of Kano and Katsina.
Avian influenza is common, but the H5N1 strain is particularly worrying both to poultry producers and doctors.
It rarely infects people but has killed 243 out of 385 known to have been infected since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. It has killed or forced the slaughter of 300 million birds. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ ) (Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Tume Ahemba)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LC558041.htm