1. Avian influenza: the disease 2. History of the disease 3. Current situation 4. FAO response 5. Conclusion Presentation Outline Avian Influenza (AI) has been recognized as a highly lethal viral disease of poultry since : a specific type (A) of influenza virus was identified as the causal agent of what was then called fowl plague Current outbreaks started in 2004 in South Asia Avian Influenza: History of the disease Comparing to the recent crisis, most of the previous outbreaks have shown very limited spread (UK: 1991) However. Hong Kong 1997: HPAI caused serious disease in both people and poultry in 18 human cases were recorded with 6 fatal cases Avian Influenza: History of the disease Aetiology: Viruses of Avian Influenza (AI) are found in the family Orthomyxoviridae. Orthomixoviridae are classified into types A, B, C AI virus belongs to type A Avian Influenza: the disease Virulence: Two distinct groups with ability to cause disease in chicken: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) fowl plague; Virus restricted to H5, H7 (Notifiable HPAI) Mortality may be as high as 100% Low pathogenic avian influenza (Notifiable LPAI) e.g. H5N2 Cause much milder disease Avian Influenza: the disease Natural hosts: Ducks, Domestic fowl, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants. Wild birds Avian Influenza: the disease CURRENT SITUATION IN NIGERIA Index case in Jaji-Kaduna State on February 7, 2006-Confirmation of H5N1 from OIE/FAO Avian Flu Collaborating Centre, Padova-Italy 6 more states (Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Nasarawa, Yobe, Federal Capital Territory) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria so far affected. Current control policy is Stamping Out with compensation and movement restrictions. Option of vaccination being considered by Government. FAO,OIE/AU-IBAR, WHO-CDC, USDA, USAID, EU are providing technical and logistic support. Outbreak of H5N1 confirmed in Niger believed to be an extension of that in Nigeria. SITUATION IN NIGER Countries Reporting HPAI in February 2006 Date of ReportCountrySpecies Affected Human CasesVirus Type 27/02/06NigerChickensNoH5N1 MalaysiaNoH5N1 20/02/06AustriaSwan/PoultryNoH5N1 20/02/06B/HerzegovinaSwanNoH5N1 19/02/06EgyptChickensNoH5N1 18/02/06IndiaPoultryNoH5N1 18/02/06SloveniaSwanNoH5 16/02/06GermanySwanNoH5N1 15/02/06IranNoH5N1 15/02/06AzerbaijanWild birdsNoH5N1 13/02/06GreeceRed Breasted Goose NoH5N1 11/02/06ItalyMute SwansNoH5N1 06/02/06NigeriaChickensNoH5N1 FAO RESPONSE TO CHANGE IN DYNAMICS OF SPREAD OF HPAI International workshops, Coordinating Meetings, Epidemiological and economic impact analysis EMPRES/FAO Early warning Messages on potential spread of HPAI through migratory birds. Donor appeal-Rome, Geneva, Beijing Increased interaction-WCS/WI/WWF- OFFLU National & Regional TCPs-Asia Rapid approval of 5 TCPs Southern Europe/Africa: Caucasus to be coordinated from Hungary Middle East to be coordinated from Beirut-Lebanon Northern Africa to be coordinated from Cairo-Egypt Eastern/Southern Africa to be coordinated from Nairobi-Kenya Western/Central Africa to be coordinated from Bamako-Mali Global Framework for the Progressive control of Transboundary Animal Diseases GF-TADs [FAO-OIE] To improve the protein food security, alleviate poverty, and improve the incomes of countries Safeguard the world livestock industry (of developed as well as developing countries) from repeated shocks of infectious animal disease epidemics Promoting safe and globalized trade in livestock and animal products Controlling TADs at source KEY ELEMENTS OF HPAI PROJECTS IN REGIONS AT RISK AI disease surveillance (laboratory /field)- Capacity building for rapid detection Emergency preparedness plans Public awareness creation. Surveillance of migratory bird flyway patterns Risk assessment of potential dangers of disease spread NATIONAL TCPs: Disease situation Support to diagnostic and surveillance Design strategies and contingency planning Training Equipment A Global Strategy for the Progressive Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Response of countries to HPAI outbreaks Control measures undertaken by countries: stamping out-culling impose quarantine and rapid surveillance of to determine extent of spread, close and disinfect markets. Sick and dead birds should not enter the human food chain Quarantine and movement control: tightly controlled quarantine on all places suspected of being infected. Use of security agents and custom officials. Movement of farm workers who keep poultry at home Biosecurity Measures Disinfection processes-Bioexclusion Vaccination (China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam others in Europe). Biosecurity Is a challenge to prevent spread of this infection to chickens. One of the most common breaks in biosecurity is the entry of people bringing in contaminated materials (clothes, shoes, soil on hands) to where susceptible animals are kept. Vaccination Major support strategy when the disease has spread to such an extent that It has overwhelmed the resources of national governments Or the economic cost of widespread slaughter campaign cannot be borne. If used in accordance with the FAO/OIE standards, vaccines are effective provide excellent protection against clinical disease in chicken by reducing mortality and and production losses. Vaccination Vaccination of poultry also reduces the viral load in the environment and thereby decreases the risk of transmission to poultry and humans Depending on the incidence and distribution of outbreaks, vaccination may be undertaken around outbreak (ring vaccination) and through out the poultry population (Mass Vaccination) Sentinels poultry may be used to monitor the effect of vaccination in addition to cloacal swab and serological testing Vaccination When deciding to use AI vaccine in poultry, a simple animal health algorithm, in decreasing order of application, should be used: high risk situations - e.g. as ring vaccination outside the outbreak zone; rare captive birds, such as those in zoological collections; valuable genetic poultry stock, such as pure lines or grandparent stocks whose individual value is high; long-lived poultry, such as egg layers or parent breeders; and meat production poultry The Avian influenza crisis is currently one of the most important public health issues of our time with tremendous implications for peoples livelihoods and socio-economic impacts. These require effective inter-sectoral collaboration between the Ministries of Agriculture and Health of countries in order to solve the problems associated with these outbreaks. CONCLUSION THANK YOU