Egypt’s highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in 2006 resulted in “significant economic losses,” according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
More than 40 million poultry were culled, which was devastating for the many small flock owners whose household income depended on their birds. Furthermore, more than 350 Egyptians are known to have been infected with the virus, and at least 120 people died of the disease in the country in the period 2006-2017.
From 2007, a series of initiatives were set up to control avian flu in the country.
Involving the FAO, the Egyptian government and a number of other agencies, these activities have been effective. While the disease remains endemic in Egypt, both the incidence and spread in the poultry sector are much reduced. More importantly perhaps, there have been no confirmed human cases of the disease since 2017.
How avian flu was brought under control in Egypt
Seeing the need for action to protect the health of poultry and people as well as livelihoods, the FAO launched an Emergency Centre for Transboundary Diseases (ECTAD) in Egypt in 2007. Working with the national government, its main aim was to tackle zoonotic diseases such as avian flu. Based on the agency’s One Health approach, its priorities were to improve prevention, early detection and the response to transboundary diseases.
Over the following years across Egypt, the Centre set up 230 epidemiological units, and trained more than 14,000 veterinary officials in aspects of disease management. They supported efforts to improve farm biosecurity and trained more field-based veterinarians, animal health service providers, and additional vaccination teams. More than 1,000 poultry farms and 800 villages also received training, support and advice.
FAO reports that use of social media has been successful in helping all of the country’s poultry owners — large and small — to understand how to prevent the spread of diseases like HPAI. An animated video developed by the FAO and its partners reached around three million views in Egypt in just one month.
A further goal achieved was agreement with the Egyptian government over financial compensation for owners whose birds are culled, according to the FAO.
Since 2007, the budget for these initiatives has reached US$24 million. Among the financial supporters were the United States Agency for International Development, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain and the European Union.
“Together, over 14 years of collaboration, we have overcome many challenges to enhance the capacity of veterinary services and sustainably control influenza and other transboundary animal diseases – with the ultimate goal of improving public health, food security and the livelihoods of vulnerable people,” said Egypt’s chief veterinary officer, Abdelhakim Ali.
FAO representative in the country Nasredin Hagelamin said that the efforts need to continue in order to eradicate avian flu from Egypt.
Avian flu situation elsewhere in Africa
Last week, a second HPAI outbreak has occurred in the Republic of Togo, reports République Togolaise. An unspecified number of poultry have been culled at the premises in the prefecture of Zio. This is located in the southern Maritime region of the West African state. An earlier outbreak occurred in the same area at the start of June.
Reuters reports that 800 birds were slaughtered at the affected premises near to the capital city, Lomé, after the H5N1 HPAI virus was detected there. A local market has been closed for 30 days, and poultry movements have been suspended.
Around three months ago, Togo’s veterinary authority declared that the HPAI situation had been “resolved.” This followed a single outbreak in poultry. Linked to the H5N1 HPAI virus, this had occurred at a premises in the Maritime region in March of 2020.
According to the FAO assessment of the avian flu situation in sub-Saharan Africa, presence of the H5N1 HPAI virus has been confirmed in Togo since February of 2017. However, it had not been officially reported so far in 2021.
In South Africa, a virus of the same family has been detected in three more wild birds in the city of Cape Town. According to the official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the birds were found dead between mid-May and early June.
Since the country’s first detection in this outbreak series in May, 70 wild birds have tested positive for the H5N1 HPAI virus variant.
HPAI virus detected in wild birds in Russia’s Siberian region
Last week, Russia’s animal health agency notified the OIE that an HPAI virus of the H5 family had been detected in a number of wild birds in the Siberian federal district.
In total, 14 birds tested positive for the virus during a surveillance program carried out in the Tyva Republic at the end of May. Seven individuals tested positive at each of two locations in different districts.
This HPAI virus type was last detected in Siberia in 2010.
Further outbreak reported in Iraqi poultry flock
According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, another outbreak of HPAI has occurred in the Republic of Iraq. It is reported to have affected a small poultry flock in Diyala.
Located in the east of the country, this governorate borders Wasit, where the H5N8 HPAI virus variant was detected at a large farm in mid-June.
If confirmed, the latest outbreak would bring the country’s total outbreaks to five so far this year.
Avian flu situation in China, Kuwait
Following seven confirmed outbreaks at poultry farms during the month of March, veterinary authorities for the State of Kuwait have declared to the OIE that the HPAI situation has been ”resolved.”
In the period March 8-19 this year, presence of the H5N8 HPAI virus was confirmed at seven farms — one in Jahra governorate, and the rest in Ahmadi. More than 714,000 poultry were directly impacted in these outbreaks, including around 23,000 that died.
Veterinary authority for the People’s Republic of China has officially confirmed to the OIE the detection of the H5N8 HPAI virus in a flock of water birds found dead in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Two new human cases of avian influenza in China
According to the World Health Organization, two new cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H9N2) virus have been reported by China’s National Health Commission. In late April, a two-year-old boy from Sichuan province and a 78-year-old woman from Jiangsu province experienced the onset of mild symptoms. Their current state of health is not reported. Both patients had been in close contact with poultry, but there were no further cases in their respective families.
The latest cases bring the total linked to this virus reported to WHO in the Western Pacific Region so far this year to 15. Since December of 2015, there have been 56 confirmed cases.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
