Nigeria probes human bird flu

2007-01-29 13:28

Abuja - Nigeria is testing samples from 14 people, including three who died, of possible bird flu, says a senior official at the health ministry.

Samples from a mother and daughter who died in Lagos and a woman who died in remote eastern Taraba state after suffering flu-like symptoms were being tested to determine whether the H5N1 strain of bird flu was present.

However, authorities gave conflicting information about tests on the mother and daughter.

Lola Sadiq, in charge of monitoring Nigeria's bird flu crisis at the World Health Organisation (WHO) office in Abuja, said they had tested negative for bird flu.

She did not have any information about the Taraba case.

Bird flu kills 163 people

Abdulsalam Nasidi, in charge of efforts to prevent bird flu from spreading to humans in Nigeria, said the three had tested positive for flu, which was very common at this time of year due to the seasonal harmattan wind.

Nasidi said: "The tests will show if it was common flu or bird flu", adding that they were being conducted at a laboratory in the capital, Abuja. The other 11 samples were from people who came into contact with those who died.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, was the first on the continent to detect bird flu a year ago. The virus had spread to 17 of the 36 states, but no human case had been confirmed so far.

According to the most recent figures from the WHO, bird flu had killed at least 163 people around the world. There are fears it could spark a pandemic in which millions could die if it mutated into a form that passed easily from person to person.

Many young Nigerians die

Experts warned that surveillance in Nigeria might not be completely effective because of poor health services. Many Nigerians died young of a variety of diseases and few families could afford the luxury of a doctor to determine the cause of death.

Nigeria was one of three countries regarded by experts as the weakest areas in the global attempt to stem infections among birds.

The disease was first discovered in the northern state of Kaduna a year ago and despite measures such as culling, quarantine and a transport ban on live birds, it spread quickly across the country.

Millions of Nigerians kept live poultry in their backyards and in the absence of refrigerators in most households, birds were transported and sold live and killed just before eating.

The majority of Nigeria's 140 million people lived below the poverty line and couldn't afford to reject diseased birds. This had raised concern among experts that the country could become a permanent host to the virus.

- Reuters