Bird flu in Ivory Coast?

2006-04-14 08:23

Abidjan - A suspected outbreak of bird flu has been discovered in a village in the Bondoukou region of Ivory Coast, Bondoukou's deputy regional governor Jean-Paul Kablan said on Thursday.

If confirmed, it would be the first outbreak of the disease in Ivory Coast, whose government has been urging calm since the first case of the deadly H5N1 virus in Africa was confirmed in February.

Kablan said the deaths of around 100 chickens and four dogs who ate their carcasses had caused "panic" in the community, situated 500km east of Abidjan.

"A week ago we noticed some suspicious poultry deaths in rural farms in Soko and scientists came from Abidjan to take swabs," he said.

"The people are very worried and are eagerly awaiting the test results," he added.

Kablan said hen houses had been "systematically burned" in response but complained of a "shortage of resources".

The first case of H5N1 in Africa was confirmed in Nigeria on February 26.

Since then, poultry farmers in the east of Ivory Coast, the country's main bird-rearing region, have suffered a dramatic fall in trade due to fear of the disease.

- SAPA