Not all bird flu viruses affect humans — PAN President

National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, in this interview with MOTUNRAYO JOEL, sheds more light on avian influenza What is avian influenza? Avian influenza commonly called bird flu is an infectious disease of birds caused by Influenza A virus which is made up of 15 subtypes on the basis of the Heamaglutinin(H) antigen and nine neuraminidase(N) antigen. There is Low Pathogenic AI and Highly Pathogenic AI. However, most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans. In most countries it is treated primarily as a poultry disease. What causes bird flu? Bird flu is caused by exposure of poultry to this influenza A virus which is usually carried by wild birds. Not all infections with the virus result in high mortality in poultry. It is very contagious among birds. What are its symptoms in birds? An infected bird will show sign of weakness, loss of appetite, depression, drop in production, swelling of head and eventually death, depending on the severity of the infection and the bird’s immunity. These signs are however similar to other viral diseases like Newcastle disease. Differential diagnosis can be made by a veterinarian while confirmatory diagnosis is made in specialised accredited laboratories like the Nigerian Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State. In all cases, urgent action should be taken. Can a human being contact this disease from eating infected birds or poultry products? Ideally, one should not eat sick birds as that increases chances of infection. Eating healthy birds and commercial egg is safe. My answer to this is no, it is very rare for one to get the disease from eating poultry products or birds as even the mildest boiling will kill the virus. Secondly, it is very few of the sub types of avian influenza that are able to affect humans. Basic hygiene teaches washing and cleaning of hands and cooking utensils at all times. Farmers are more likely to catch the disease on farms where biosecurity measures are not strictly adhered to. But there are claims that bird flu affects humans? This is very true but this assertion must be made responsibly and in the proper context. I think any one that says that or writes that out of context is doing a disservice to the community. Protein deficiency, resulting in a low plane of nutrition for the average Nigerian is causing low immunity, high infant mortality, high maternal mortality rate etc. Nigerians are not consuming as much protein as recommended by global health organisations like the UN. Creating panic and chaos about bird flu will only drive people further away from things that are good for them and their children for no just cause. We need to look at the bigger picture; the chances of anyone catching bird flu is very slim. Out of over 500000 poultry farms and 120 million birds in Nigeria, we have seen cases in 11 back yard farms with a total of 22,573 birds in rural farm communities. In the last six months, bird flu has been reported in the USA, China, Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, Holland and so many others. In these countries it is treated as a poultry disease with minimal public health implications. The Ministry of Agriculture led by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has swung into action deploying man and material to effectively contain the spread and is following the universally accepted control measures of isolation and stamp out. Is there a vaccine for bird flu? There are several poultry vaccines available, Inactivated Homologous Vaccines, Inactivated Heterologous Vaccines or Recombinant Vaccines. There is a big debate in the veterinary community on whether or not we should vaccinate all or some of our poultry for several reasons. Science is working hard on the various options and the best solution will be implemented. For now, we have a no vaccination policy enforced by the Ministry of Agriculture in Nigeria. How deadly is this disease? Bird flu is predominantly a disease of poultry. We poultry farmers are the ones that are most likely to be affected because we work closely with these animals. The Poultry Association of Nigeria is therefore constantly training farmers on biosecurity and other control measures. Bird flu is not something that the human population should worry about at this stage and probably at any stage. Currently there are small bird flu outbreaks in most poultry producing countries around the world. We haven’t seen them make it headlines on their news channels. Of course every life is important, but in these countries, it is being treated primarily as a poultry disease. At the moment, necessary measures are being taken to keep the disease curtailed. I would suggest that priority is given to where priority is required, and causing panic benefits no one. How is bird flu treated? What we do is to isolate the farm, quarantine and slaughter the birds. We have a stamp out policy where we form a circle around the poultry, and then we go in to slaughter the birds within the ring. By the time we slaughter, bury or incinerate the birds, we destroy the virus at that point, using disinfectants copiously to clean the environment. That is how we did it in 2006 and that is how we are doing it now. This process is led by the AI desk of the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry has taken up the challenge to have the disease stamped out as quickly as possible. They need to sustain the urgent distribution of man and material to any new sites. Are there human diseases that emanate from bird flu? In few occasions, close contact with infected birds result in flu like infractions. This usually occurs in rural setting where people need more enlightenment to keep separate dwellings for poultry. How can poultry farmers protect their birds from the disease? Farmers should apply all biosecurity measures to protect their farms. They should restrict movement in and out of their farms, ensure that vehicles or equipment coming in must be disinfected or humans should change shoes, wear overalls, wash hands and feet or bathe. The staff should not move between farms. Your biosecurity programme is as strong as your weakest link. They should ensure that virus or bacteria are not allowed into the farm; keep farms clean and free of vermin, cobwebs. Farms should also be sprayed regularly with disinfectant as most of these microbes are susceptible to most disinfectants. All these measures are what the association is currently recommending to farmers. In some countries where biosecurity is hard to enforce, they vaccinate. What should a poultry farmer do if he sees a dead bird on his farm? First of all, there are so many things that could have killed the bird. We have several poultry diseases that we are vaccinating against. However, if he sees a dead bird, and suspects it may have died of bird flu, especially during this period, he should put on gloves to pick it, put in a hole, pour chemical on it and bury. But if there are multiple mortalities, he should contact his local veterinary department immediately and also inform the Poultry Association of Nigeria. He shouldn’t allow movement of birds out of the farm and he should immediately engage the strictest biosecurity measures. The farmer should not slaughter live birds or send them to the market. Any unusual mortality should be reported. Members of staff of the Ministry have been well trained to manage the situation. All efforts will be made to ensure farmers affected do not suffer this alone. At the moment what measures has the association put in place to curtail the disease? First of all, we are focusing on spreading the necessary information needed to curtail the disease. We have alerted all our members on biosecurity measures. We had trained our members in the past, but we are still training them on bio-security. We are also working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture at the federal level to ensure that any case is properly reported so that the ministry can move in, disinfect, fumigate, stamp out if confirmed to be avian influenza. Like I said, there are some cases that have been reported, but they were found to be new castle disease, which is a disease that also kills birds, it is similar to avian influenza but has no public health significance. Some cases were reported in 11 farms in four states, but not all were avian influenza. If a case is reported, it is investigated and if confirmed by the laboratory that it is avian influenza, the necessary measures are carried out. Should Nigerians be worried about eating eggs? Egg is safe for consumption. Safe also is any healthy bird you find in the market. Most poultry products including fresh frozen chicken you find in supermarkets are from commercial farms where biosecurity and preventive measures have been put in place. And indeed, egg is nature’s vitamin pill. It is convenient, has a terrific taste, affordable and has the second best protein biological value, second only to breast milk. The shell of an egg protects it in such a way that it cannot be adulterated. The amino acid and vitamins in egg is highly nutritious and readily available to the body. In Nigeria, our consumption of egg is very low. The per capita consumption of eggs in Nigeria is around 65. However, in Mexico, Japan, Isreal, etc, it is over 300. In Europe and the US, it is on average over 270.They all have life expectancies over 80 years. In Nigeria, life expectancy is 47. If properly supported and funded, the poultry Industry value chain can generate one million jobs a year. Nigerians should do the right thing. Eggs are by the best sources of protein for young children, energetic youth and adults and pregnant women while improving eyesight and skin tone in the aged. It is also now a popular component of most diets for women and men who want to lose weight. We assure members of the public that poultry products are safe, and we shall continue to ensure this remain so.