Abstract
Over 1.2 million poultry birds were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (H5N1) in Nigeria between 2006 and 2008. A resurgence of HPAI in 2014 in Kano and its spread to other states plagued the poultry subsector with job losses, increased poultry mortality and a drastic fall in revenues. We carried out this study to determine the pattern, trend and burden of HPAI in poultry birds between 2015 and 2017 in Kano State Nigeria. We obtained Avian Influenza (AI) surveillance data for 2015-2017 from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja. Variables analyzed were the number of poultry chicken affected, mortality in infected poultry, the number of poultry depopulated by local government areas (LGAs), and trends of avian influenza within the study area. In the years under review, over 3.7 million poultry chickens were affected across 26 states in Nigeria. Kano State accounted for 30% of the total mortality in Nigeria. In 2015, 648,686 poultry chickens were exposed to HPAI, H5N1 across 21 LGAs in Kano, 34,504 (5.3%) died, 561,126 (94.7%) was depopulated. In 2016, 382,963 poultry birds were exposed, 9,737 (2.5%) died and 375,026 (94.7%) poultry was depopulated. In 2017, targeted surveillance conducted on a pool of ducks at Sabon Gari market in Kano led to the isolation of HPAI. H5H8. The decline in the incidence of AI cases from week 17-31 of 2015 and week 13-33 of 2017 was in tandem with supplies of AI control kits and equipment to Kano State. These measures should be complemented with the training of poultry stakeholders on biosecurity measures on the farm with a view of preventing a future outbreak of avian influenza. These findings have been communicated to the Chief veterinary officer of Nigeria for consideration.
Highlights
Epidemics caused by influenza viruses account for about 3-5 million cases of severe illness and about 250,000-500,000 deaths worldwide (WHO, 2018)
Kano State is located in the Northwest of Nigeria; it was created on May 27, 1967; It has 44 local government areas (LGAs) (NBS, 2018)
Variables analyzed were the number of poultry chicken affected, mortality in infected poultry, the number of poultry depopulated by (LGAs), and trends of avian of avian influenza in Kano state Nigeria between influenza in Kano State
Summary
Epidemics caused by influenza viruses account for about 3-5 million cases of severe illness and about 250,000-500,000 deaths worldwide (WHO, 2018). Pathogenic avian influenza was first reported in Nigeria in 2006 (Coker et al, 2014) and it persisted until 2008 where 25 states of the federation were affected across 97 LGAs (Pagani, Abimiku & Emeka-Okolie, 2008), but Nigeria was declared free of AI in 2013 ( FMARD, 2003). The affected poultry were humanely slaughtered during an outbreak poultry farms are decontaminated, disinfected and compensation paid to affected farmers These policies aimed at reducing the burden of losses by the farmer, prevent risk of spread due to sale of infected poultry has had significant effect on stamping out avian influenza from the poultry subsector; these gain may be marginal largely due to the poorly regulated and unstructured poultry value chain (Pagani, Abimiku & Emeka-Okolie, 2008). This study has brought to the fore the burden of pathogenic avian influenza on the poultry subsector in Kano State with a view to providing information necessary for action
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