Cameroon hit by a bird flu outbreak in a major poultry facility

A bird flu outbreak has killed 15,000 fowls at a neighbourhood in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon.

The deaths, linked to the Avian Influenza, were confirmed by Cameroon’s national veterinary laboratory. The 15,000 dead fowls represent 50 per cent of birds in the facility, one of the largest in the country.

Cameroon’s epidemic surveillance network had noticed an abnormal high mortality rate of fowls at the poultry complex.

Authorities have proceeded with the slaughtering, burning and disposing of remaining birds while people who visited the affected poultry complex during the week, May 16 to 22, are being monitored.

After emergency meetings, officials are strengthening measures to contain the outbreak.

Poultry farmers in Cameroon have also been called upon to collaborate with authorities in efforts to stop the further spread of the disease.

A WHO fact sheet explains that the Avian Influenza is an infectious viral disease of birds (especially wild water fowl such as ducks and geese), often causing no apparent signs of illness.

The Avian Influenza viruses can sometimes spread to domestic poultry and cause large-scale outbreak of the serious disease.

In 2006, an outbreak of bird flu was reported in Cameroon’s Far North region.

Other cases had been reported the same year in Nigeria, Egypt and Niger.