Announcement

**Gert van der Hoek** · November 7th, 2016, 03:39 PM

More than 1,800 dead birds picked up since last September in El Menea

07/11/16

More than 1,800 birds dead bodies were collected from September to date in the wetland of Lake El-Maleh Sebkhat located at the southern exit from the capital of the administrative district of El-Menea (275 km south of Ghardaia) does said Monday at the conservation of forests in the wilaya.

These birds of different species most of which Tadorn casarcas, moorhens, marbled teal and mallard ducks were found dead in the lake area "El Maleh Sebkhat", sorted wetland of international importance in 2004 by the Ramsar Convention, does it added.

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**sharon sanders** · November 9th, 2016, 10:15 AM

Health alert declared. For H7N1?

A health alert in Algeria after the discovery of the epicenter of bird flu

Health and Family Wednesday 11/09/2016 15:34 pm

Bird flu in Algeria Algeria - Agencies
Algerian authorities have formed groups of mortal doctors and veterinarians and specialists in epidemiology for the siege of the epicenter of bird flu, which was discovered a few days ago impregnable city, according to health workers.

According to the news agency "Anatolia", Issa Hammad, a doctor from the impregnable city, said: "The Algerian authorities have formed groups of mortal doctors and veterinarians and specialists in epidemiology and to deal with the crisis."

As pointed Kadir Muammar, a doctor from the city itself, that "the Ministry of Health announced a contingency plan to blockade the focus was detected a few days ago," adding that "the Ministries of Health and Agriculture Oovdta days a group of specialists prior to the city in order to verify the non-transmission migratory birds to domestic birds. "

In turn, Taheri Abdel Moneim head of the Health Assembly, said the environment of the impregnable city: "We live these days in the region because of the state of fear that the authorities may have been delayed in the detection of disease."

He said that "the dead birds have been detected several times since the month of September 2016, has revealed the birds in orchards and agricultural sites where peasants work (farmers) which means that the risk is still going strong."

http://www.al-sharq.com/news/details/454007

**Pathfinder** · November 10th, 2016, 01:46 PM

Highly pathogenic avian influenza,
Algeria

Information received on 10/11/2016 from Dr Ahmed Chawky Karim Boughalem, Directeur des Services Vétérinaires, Services Vétérinaires, Ministère de l'Agriculture du Développement Rural et de la Pêche, Alger, Algeria

Summary

Report type	Follow-up report No. 1
Date of start of the event	20/10/2016
Date of confirmation of the event	30/10/2016
Report date	10/11/2016
Date submitted to OIE	10/11/2016
Reason for notification	First occurrence of a listed disease in the country
Causal agent	Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype	H7N1
Nature of diagnosis	Clinical, Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to	a defined zone within the country
Related reports	Immediate notification (02/11/2016) Follow-up report No. 1 (10/11/2016)

Outbreaks

There are no new outbreaks in this report

Epidemiology

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection

Unknown or inconclusive
Animals in transit
Contact with wild species

Epidemiological comments

New deaths in migratory birds in the same outbreak in El Menia, Sbkhet El Malah. 408 additional dead ruddy shelducks. Also, among the deaths mentioned in the immediate notification there was an Eurasian spoonbill with a ring No. 268949 (German). Measures taken in this outbreak: - Reactivation of the surveillance and monitoring team for avian influenza at wilayah level, - Surveillance around the infected area and of backyard animals, - Surveillance of wetlands by Forest Directorate, - Destruction of carcasses by burial between two layers of lime, - Awareness for vigilance for poultry farmers (radio, mosques and schools), - Ban on poultry and birds sales at markets.

Control measures

Measures applied	Screening Surveillance outside containment and/or protection zone Official disposal of carcasses, by-products and waste Surveillance within containment and/or protection zone Vaccination prohibited No treatment of affected animals
Measures to be applied	No other measures

Future Reporting

The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

...
http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wa...reportid=21502

**Pathfinder** · November 12th, 2016, 11:22 AM

Translation Google

Confirmation of the H7N1 virus in El Ménéa

Lake Sebkhat El Maleh temporarily closed

12.11.16 | 10am

This is the battle-down battle at the headquarters of the wilaya. All the structures able to contribute and contribute to stem the spread of the H7N1 virus are on the bridge.

Land Conservation, the Directorate of Agriculture (in particular, and especially its veterinary department, which is most involved on the front line), the Directorate for the Environment, the Directorate for Health and Population, Civil Protection, among others, were urgently assembled in the Cabinet of the Wilaya of Ghardaïa to put everyone in front of his responsibilities and set the course to hold first to contain the virus in his current home and then to stop it.

In addition to the temporary closure of the lake of Sebkhat El Maleh and all the wetlands of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, this means a total ban on citizens and livestock of the areas suspected of promoting the emergence of the H7N1 virus. Kamel Nouisser, GS of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, chaired this meeting. This meeting resulted in the establishment of a monitoring and prospecting system for all domestic poultry farms, as well as serological samples and tests for To detect the slightest infection with H7N1 virus in these farms and to intervene at the foot by a veterinary mobilization for the rapid eradication of the virus detected before its propagation. According to the veterinary services of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, "this avian influenza is limited to migratory birds. The 1816 dead birds infected with the H7N1 virus are all migratory birds.

To date, no incidence has been detected on the local poultry flock, which is, we reassure you, healthy. As a reminder, over 1800 corpses of birds, many of them casarcas, water hens, marbled teals and green-necked ducks have been collected since September to date in the humid zone of Lake Sebkhat El Maleh, located at the southern exit of the administrative center of El Ménéa (275 km south of Ghardaïa) and classified as a wetland of international importance in 2004 by the Ramsar Convention.

The alert was given, let us recall, by the elements of the Conservation of the forests of the wilaya of Ghardaïa. The forest conservation and veterinary services of the wilaya of Ghardaïa have opened an investigation into the origin of the "mysterious" death of this bird population and samples were sent to the regional laboratory of Laghouat and to the central veterinary laboratory of Algiers Last October. The Sebkhat El Maleh (El Menea) wetland, which covers 18,947 hectares, including 1,600 hectares of water and a vegetarian periphery, has become "a halt and a nesting area" Migration between Europe and Africa.

http://www.elwatan.com/regions/ouest...332716_257.php
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translation Google

The director of health of the wilaya of Ghardaïa reassures

12.11.16 | 10am

No cases of human contamination have been detected "To date and at the time I am speaking (Tuesday afternoon), we have recorded, not only in El Menéa, but all over the territory of the wilaya of Ghardaïa , no case of contamination or transmission of H7N1 avian influenza from animal to human, "says Ameur Benaïssa, director of health and population of the wilaya of Ghardaïa.

Suspect death of more than 1800 birds in El Menea.

Dr. Tarek Rezzoug, veterinary inspector of wilaya, in the agriculture department of the wilaya of Ghardaïa confirms their death by infection of the avian influenza virus H7N1: "We have today received confirmation from the laboratory of reference of the (El Harrach) that the dead birds found in the wetland of the Sebkhat El-Maleh lake located at the southern exit of the administrative center of the El-Menea administrative district (275 km to the south Of Ghardaïa) have been infected with the H7N1 avian influenza virus. "He added:" While this viral strain was discovered in Italy in 1999, in Algeria it is the first time. In order to circumscribe and treat it, we have adopted a series of measures which will be applicable both at breeders' level and around the area where the virus appeared, namely the wetland of the Sebkhat El-Maleh lake , As well as on all the wetlands of the wilaya of Ghardaïa. Other measures will follow shortly.

http://www.elwatan.com/regions/ouest...332715_257.php

**Pathfinder** · November 17th, 2016, 12:03 PM

Translation Google

Deaths of hundreds of birds in El Ménéa
Avian flu resurfaces at El Maleh Lake

17.11.16 | 10am

"The results of the physicochemical analyzes showed the non-existence of heavy metals," according to the director of the environment.

Fatima Bensalah, director of the environment of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, confirms to El Watan that "no environmental damage was noted in El Maleh, after the 1800 cases of avian influenza confirmed last October. As early as the alert given to these deaths at the Lake of Sebkhet El Maleh in El Menea, hundreds of migratory birds, a collegiate and coordinated work took place between Forest Conservation, Veterinary Services of the Directorate of Agriculture , The Directorate for Health and Population and the Directorate for the Environment, with the assistance of the Civil Protection and Security Services.

Liquid and solid samples were sent by the Environment Directorate of the wilaya of Ghardaïa to the central laboratory of the National Observatory for the Environment and Central Development for analysis. The results of the physicochemical analyzes showed the absence of heavy metals and therefore no environmental impact was observed. She adds that a monitoring unit has been set up to monitor any new developments in the situation ".

Interrogations

Many of the unanswered questions are telling the minds of the observers in the region: "Why were there no more deaths, while quotas of migratory birds are still in the lake, and above all, Where the deceased birds have contracted the H7N1 virus? "It is these two essential questions that those in charge of this problem have to answer with scientific clarification and arguments to put an end to all forms of anxiety but also Of rumors as far-fetched as the others.

As a reminder, over 1800 corpses of birds, including a large part of casarcas tadpoles, water hens, marbled teals and green-necked ducks, have been collected since September to date in the wetland of El Maleh, located at the southern exit of the administrative center of El Ménéa (275 km south of Ghardaïa), classified as a wetland of international importance in 2004 by the Ramsar Convention.

The alert was given, let us recall, by the elements of the Conservation of the forests of the wilaya of Ghardaïa. Forestry services and veterinarians in the Ghardaïa wilaya have initiated an investigation into the origin of the "mysterious" death of this bird population and samples have been sent to the Laghouat regional laboratory and to the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Algiers last October.

The animal health reference laboratory at Cinq-Maisons (El Harrach) confirmed that the dead birds found in the wetland were infected with the H7N1 avian influenza virus. As a matter of urgency, an order for a temporary closure of the lake in question and of the wetlands of the wilaya of Ghardaïa is signed by Kamel Nouisser, the secretary general of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, in the absence of the wali, Azzedine Mechri, in Mission in Algiers.

Emergency measures

In addition to this temporary closure to first contain the virus in its current home and then curb it, citizens and livestock were completely banned from areas suspected of promoting the emergence of the H7N1 virus from entering these homes Wetlands. A surveillance and prospecting system for all domestic poultry farms, as well as serological samples and tests to detect the slightest infection with H7N1 virus in these farms and to intervene at the foot by a veterinary mobilization for the rapid eradication of the virus Detected, before its propagation, have been put in place.

No impact on livestock

According to the veterinary services of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, "this avian influenza is limited to migratory birds. The 1816 dead birds infected with the H7N1 virus are all migratory birds. To date, no incidence has been detected on the local poultry flock, which is, we reassure you, healthy.

The listed El Lakeh wetland, which covers 1,894 hectares, including 1,600 hectares of water and a vegetarian periphery, has become "a halt and a nesting area" on the migratory axis between the " Europe and Africa, attracting at the same time thousands of migratory birds of various species going to the south of Africa. As a reminder, the director of health and population of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, Ameur Benaïssa, affirmed "not having recorded, not only in El Menea, but throughout the territory of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, no case of contamination Or transmission of avian influenza H7N1, from animals to humans ".

Dr Tarek Rezzoug, a veterinary inspector in the Ghardaia wilaya agriculture directorate, had confirmed their death by infection with the H7N1 avian influenza virus: "We have received confirmation from the (El Harrach) than the dead birds found in the wetland area of the Sebkhet El Maleh lake located at the southern exit of the administrative center of the El Menea administrative district (275 km south of Ghardaïa ), Have been infected with the H7N1 avian influenza virus. "

The latter also states that this strain, discovered for the first time in Italy in 1999, had just been detected in Algeria, and that in order to circumscribe and treat it, measures had been applied both at the level of the breeders and on the whole Around the area where the virus appeared, namely the wetland of El Menea and all the wetlands of the wilaya of Ghardaïa.

Djamel K.

http://www.elwatan.com/regions/ouest...333100_257.php

Announcement

Algeria - 1 new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H7N1 in migratory birds in Ghardaia (OIE, November 3, 2016)

Algeria - 1 new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H7N1 in migratory birds in Ghardaia (OIE, November 3, 2016)

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