Africa
may face serious bird flu risk
Migratory
birds could spread the virus - international
assistance needed
Washington,
DC and Rome, 19 October 2005
- After the confirmed outbreaks
of avian influenza in Romania and Turkey
the risk of bird flu spreading to the
Middle East and African countries has
markedly increased, FAO warned today.
"The detection of bird flu in Romania
and Turkey, following outbreaks in Russia,
Kazakhstan and Mongolia, confirms FAO's
recent warning that the virus is spreading
along the pathways of migratory birds
outside southeast Asia," said Joseph
Domenech, FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer.
"Wild birds seem to be one of the
main avian influenza carriers, but more
research is urgently needed to fully understand
their role in spreading the virus."
Both Romania and Turkey have swiftly responded
to the recent outbreaks, FAO said. "These
countries should be able to contain the
virus soon."
"One of our major concerns is now
the potential spread of avian influenza
through migratory birds to northern and
eastern Africa," Domenech warned.
"There is serious risk that this
scenario may become a reality."
"The Middle East and northern African
countries should be able to build up a
line of defence against avian influenza.
FAO is more concerned about the situation
in Eastern Africa, where veterinary services,
due to various constraints, should have
more difficulties to run efficient bird
flu campaigns based on slaughtering infected
animals and vaccination," Domenech
said. "The countries concerned and
the international community have to make
every effort to ensure that bird flu does
not become endemic in Africa."
"If the virus were to become endemic
in eastern Africa, it could increase the
risk of the virus to evolve through mutation
or reassortment into a strain that could
be transmitted to and between humans,"
Domenech said. "The close proximity
between people and animals and insufficient
surveillance and disease control capacities
in eastern African countries create an
ideal breeding ground for the virus. The
countries urgently need international
assistance to build up basic surveillance
and control systems."
FAO will assist countries in Africa to
strengthen the surveillance on wild and
domestic birds and improve laboratory
capacities in order to early detect any
bird flu outbreak.
The bird flu risk to European countries
due to wild birds is relatively low at
present, according to FAO. However, there
is a significant risk that migratory birds
could carry the disease to western and
northern Europe next spring if wild bird
populations are infected during their
stay in southern regions. Veterinary services
in Europe are very efficient and strong
surveillance and disease control measures
are in place to face this risk.
"It is crucial to remind that the
epicentre of the disease currently remains
in southeast Asia where the virus continues
to circulate in several countries and
where a pandemic could finally start if
the control of the disease in animals
is not successful," Domenech said.
For more information on the FAO, please
visit www.FAO.org