Tests
find bird flu in France, Egypt U.N. worried about strain spreading through Africa
By the Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt - Tests confirmed the deadly strain of bird
flu in Egypt, as France reported a probable first case Friday
and the United Nations expressed growing concern about the
virus’ spread through West Africa.
Egypt reported Friday that 18-20 dead birds had tested positive
for bird flu. A U.N. official said tests confirmed an outbreak
of the deadly H5N1 strain that has swept out of Southeast
Asia into Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Egypt’s health ministry was preparing to declare a
state of emergency, the government said.
The French agriculture ministry said Friday that it found
the nation’s “probable” first case of H5N1
bird flu virus in a dead wild duck. The ministry said tests
confirmed that the duck found in the southeast Ain region
had H5 bird flu and that it was believed to be the deadly
N1 strain. Further tests were being conducted, the ministry
said.
Bird flu has killed 91 people in Turkey and in Asia since
2003, with most victims infected directly by sick birds, according
to the World Health Organization. Scientists fear the H5N1
virus could mutate to a form more easily passed between humans
and spark a human flu pandemic.
In Egypt, Dr. Talib Elham of the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization said the disease apparently had moved north to
Cairo in an infected turkey taken to market in the capital.
Other outbreaks were found in flocks in backyard gardens
and rooftop coops in Giza, across the Nile river from Cairo.
Positive tests also were reported from birds in the southern
Egyptian cities of Minya and Qena, and Elham said authorities
had started slaughtering fowl in affected areas, although
he did not have figures.
Egypt is the largest Arab country and the population —
which often lives in cramped conditions — depends heavily
on chickens and turkeys for food. Millions of Egyptians keep
chickens in gardens and rooftop coops.
Egypt has no confirmed cases in humans.
Creeping across Europe
Germany confirmed 10 more cases of avian flu in birds Friday
and warned state governments to brace for the disease to spread
through the country. The 10 birds found on a northern island
had the H5N1 strain, the federal animal health institute said
Friday. They followed three previously confirmed cases.
German Agriculture Minister Horst Seehofer said he expected
the disease to continue to spread throughout the country and
urged state governments to prepare for a worst-case scenario.
“We must expect that this will expand to other geographical
areas,” Seehofer.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization expressed growing
concern that bird flu could spread beyond Nigeria to other
West African countries, and it proposed giving farmers incentives
to report possible outbreaks early.
“The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus poses
a very serious threat to animal health in West Africa,”
said the agency’s chief veterinary officer, Joseph Domenech.
“If a poultry epidemic should develop beyond the boundaries
of Nigeria the effects would be disastrous for the livelihoods
and the food security of millions of people.”
Bird flu has affected at least three of Nigeria’s 36
states. Five other states and the country’s northern
neighbor, Niger, are investigating suspected bird deaths from
H5N1.
West Africa already is threatened by severe malnutrition,
with more than 2 million people vulnerable to acute hunger
in Niger alone.
Incentives urged
Domenech said incentives should be offered to poor African
farmers to report suspected cases immediately.
“If the government is just there to kill the animals
and cull them there is the possibility that the farmers won’t
report cases,” FAO official Juan Lubroth said.
The agency has long expressed concern about possible outbreaks
in Africa, where poor countries are ill-equipped to contain
the virus.
In Nigeria, authorities knew of the existence of a deadly
bird flu strain up to 19 days before informing the public
of Africa’s first documented case.
Officials in Denmark and the Netherlands were testing dead
wild birds Friday and warned it was only a matter of time
before the disease reached their countries.
Vietnam is allowing commercial farms to resume hatching and
restocking chickens since there have no bird flu outbreaks
among poultry over the past two months, Hoang Kim Giao, deputy
director of the agriculture ministry breeding department,
said Friday.
“The restriction has been lifted because bird flu has
been brought under control,” he said.
