Lagos — Until recently, Nigerians did not have any cause to panic over a bird disease called Avian Influenza, popularly known as 'Bird Flu' as it was alien to this part of the world. Its impact is devastating as it is capable of killing poultry in millions few hours after striking its.

Before now, the global focus had been on how to secure solution to HIV/AIDS, which had no known cure and as if this was not enough to contend with, the relatively new disease started rearing its ugly head. Early in 2005, it was reported that the new strain of the disease, known as H5N1, which is very infectious had affected both chickens and humans, in a large proportion, killing millions of birds and leaving over a hundred people dead around the world.

The United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF), in a release disclosed that, the disease is an animal infection caused by the H5NI virus. The virus occurs naturally among birds. Wild birds carry the virus in their intestines but usually do not get sick. But some domesticated birds, like chickens, turkeys and ducks, get very sick and can die from the virus.

The avian influenza viruses are classified as types A, B and C, with 15 subtypes of the type A. To date, all highly pathogenic A1 viruses that cause the disease belong to H5 or H7 subtypes. The HPAI viruses affect pigs and humans with the pigs serving as mixing vehicle for re-assortment of the virus while domestic ducks get infected without showing clinical signs hence serve as a source of infection for domestic poultry.

It is still not known, how the disease hit some African countries but it has been reported that the distribution of outbreaks of HPAI in Europe, Asia and Turkey has been associated with the presence of wetlands and lakes where migratory birds rest. In Nigeria, such wetlands exist with free flying wild birds and domestic ducks visiting and resting.

The source of introduction of the disease into Nigeria could be through importation or smuggling of infected poultry and poultry products across the borders and through migratory birds that fly through identified pathways. However, the presence of the disease in the country is still a subject of further investigation.

Nigeria was the first country in Africa to confirm the presence of bird flu, when the virus was discovered on Sambawa farms in Igabi local government area of Kaduna State,on January 8, 2006 and from one state, the virus has continued to spread across the country. Since then the virus had affected 55 local government areas, in 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and more worrisome, was the confirmed cause of death of a 22 year-old female by the World Health Organisation.

Earlier, the Federal Government had responded to the breakout of the disease by instituting a National Emergency Preparedness and Response plan (NEPRP) and had put into motion, action for the prevention and control of the disease, using the NEPRP as a basis, a strategic containment action plan was developed with support of international development partners.

Prior to the outbreak of the disease in the country, chicken remains the commonest source of protein in the delicacies of most families in Nigeria. During major festivals, most average families who could not afford cows or rams, would settle for chicken, which is handy and affordable.

Besides, poultry is a source of commercial activity as both professionals such as vete nary doctors and non-professionals could engage in keeping chickens in commercial quantity, as a means of livelihood, there are those who do not keep poultry for commercial purpose but as domestic birds and may decide to consume the at some point.

However, due to the outbreak of the disease in early 2006, newspapers were awashed with reports which created so much fear in the mind of the people, to the extent that some vowed never to have anything to do with chicken. The poultry industry ran into huge commercial loss, as large population of chickens were killed across the country as a result of infections, to curtail the spread of the disease.

Recently, UNICEF organised a-week training in Ibadan for the media, to provide journalists with evidence-based data and information on avian influenza and provide journalists with information specific to the Nigerian context.

The workshop aimed at creating the necessary awareness for the people and to sensitise them to preventive and precautionary measures to take to avoid the attack of the disease.

As part of the training was a trip to the popular poultry market at Dugbe area of the city, where they were exposed to the practical operations of three categories of people, who were; poultry sellers, buyers and those who prepare chickens for consumption. An attempt was made to know the kind of danger each of the three categories of people were exposed to.

In an interview with Madam Habibat Umoru, who made poultry preparation a family business, involving her children and who claimed to have being in the business for over two decades, he said that the job is a lucrative one which she used to train her children to the tertiary institution and take care of her family.

She further stated that, some time, she experienced huge loss in her business due to the attack of 'bird flu', which killed several of her chickens over which she recorded loss to the tune of half a million naira, according to her, the incident shook the business to its foundation, but noted that today she has overcome the setback.

She disclosed that, she has since learnt to take care of her poultry better than before, by applying drugs that can help prevent attack of diseases for them. She also adopted measures to ensure that the environment where she performs her job is always kept neat.

Also speaking, Dr.Deji Folutile, of Food-chain Limited, Lagos, said from professional point of view, he advised that, it is wrong to cite poultry within the residential area and parents should not be careless to allow their children to play with the chicken.

He also said, when the poultry are being taken care of, direct contact with the droppings from the chickens must be avoided, by the use of overall or apron, while glove must be worn to avoid direct contact with birds when carrying them.

The expert noted that most poultry keepers make vital mistakes in the way they dispose off the remains of the chickens. For example, the intestine and other body parts of the chicken, or any chicken that is already infected with the disease, he said, should be properly disposed off, by digging the ground and burying such remains, or burn them as an alternative measure.

Folutile said, it is very important to clean up properly each time the poultry are being taken care of, by the use of detergent, adding that the environment where the poultry is cited must always be kept clean.

Who ever keeps poultry, he said, should ensure that on regular basis, he/she goes to the medical facilities to have a medical check-up.

According to UNICEF, as at February 6, 272 human cases were reported in eleven countries with 166 deaths. Most of the affected people came from Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia. Human cases have also been reported in three African countries of Egypt, Djibouti and Nigeria.

There is no evidence to date of sustained human-to-human transmission, like the ordinary flu. However, the world is concerned that H5N1 could adapt to, and become easily transmitted among humans, once this adaptation occurs, it will no longer be a bird virus, but a human influenza virus, which could cause pandemic.

Pandemic influenza, (not avian influenza) is a rare but recurrent event that has typically occurred every 10-15 years. It occurs when a human influenza virus emerges and starts spreading as easily and normally as the regular seasonal influenza, which is very dangerous, as it is capable of killing people in millions.

Based on the risk analysis of HPAI in Nigeria, it is recommended that our overall policy should be modified stamping out involving slaughter of clinically affected poultry with full compensation, safe disposal of dead carcasses, adequate disinfection and decontamination and appropriate disease surveillance to determine the origin and extent of the disease.

In addition, UNICEF says, the tempo of awareness should be increased, to ring the bell from time to time to ensure that the necessary message is passed to the people on what they need to do always to prevent the disease from becoming a regular occurrence in Nigeria and in deed the black world.