FAO: New bird flu strain found in Nigeria
Posted by Bao Viet Nam on August 14, 2008
– The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation reported on August 12 that a new strain of bird flu has been detected in Nigeria, according to news agencies.
The newly discovered virus strain is genetically different from the strains that circulated in Nigeria in 2006 and 2007, FAO said, adding that it is more similar to strains previously identified in Italy, Afgahnistan and Iran in 2007.
The detection of a new bird flu strain in Africa raises serious concerns as it remains unknown how this strain has been introduced to the continent, according to a FAO official.
The official was quoted as saying that 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.
Nigeria reported its first case of bird flu in February 2006 and infected poultry in 25 states. The country has recently reported two new bird flu outbreaks in the northern states of Katsina and Kano.-
