UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, POULTRY - BURUNDI, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

[Giuseppe]

Re: _|BURUNDI: Fatal chicken disease a blow to food security|_

UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, POULTRY - BURUNDI, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** *************
[EXCERPTS. The IRIN piece of news also in Promed post isn't reproduced. IOH]
(....)

[Kayanza is situated in northern Burundi, adjacent to the border with
Rwanda; map at [LINK] .
For the location of Burundi in east central Africa, see [LINK] .

The HPAI H5N1 outbreak so far closest to Burundi, was reported more
than 1000 km (620 miles) away, namely in Juba, southern Sudan, in Oct
2006 (see map at LINK)

Differentiation between Newcastle disease ("Pseudo fowl plague") and Highly pathogenic avian influenza ("fowl plague") can be achieved in the laboratory. Information on the laboratory test results, hopefully excluding avian influenza, is anticipated. - Mod.AS

Newcastle disease symptoms include respiratory symptoms and diarrhea, symptoms shared with avian flu, therefore a lab test is essential to distinguish the 2 infections. ProMED last reported NDV in Africa in 2005 -- see ProMED archives below. OIE's WAHID database shows Burundi reported NDV twice in 2005 but without specifying the number of outbreaks.

Link to WAHID: http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=home,
select Disease information from the left margi, then specify Single
Region and Africa, starting Jan 2005 (the furthest back the database
currently extends). - Mod.JW]

[see also:
2006
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Avian influenza (203) - Sudan (Central Equatoria): OIE 20061012.2922
2005
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Newcastle disease, poultry - Ethiopia 20051220.3644
Newcastle disease, poultry - South Africa: susp 20050927.2842
Newcastle disease, poultry - Zimbabwe: susp 20050917.2744
1998
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Newcastle disease - Botswana 19980301.0397]
....................arn/ejp/jw
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http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:1242512312527692::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,73023

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[Laidback Al]

Re: _|BURUNDI: Fatal chicken disease a blow to food security|_

And although the disease itself can be passed on to humans, the only effects are mild conjunctivitis.

Hasn't human conjunctivitis been associated with H7Nx?

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=162388

[Giuseppe]

BURUNDI: Fatal chicken disease a blow to food security
03 Jul 2008 14:17:57 GMT
Source: IRIN
(Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.)

BUJUMBURA, 3 July 2008 (IRIN) -

Food security in Burundi's Kayanza province is under threat because of an untreatable disease that has killed more than 1,000 chickens in one commune, according to a senior official.

"The disease has also been reported in other parts of the country but total numbers of dead chickens are not [yet] available," the director of the Animal Health Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Stockbreeding, Pierre Bukuru, told IRIN.

"With the pandemic among the chickens, the population will face a significant lack of animal proteins and many people will suffer from the shortage, as chicken is widely raised and consumed in Burundi," he added.

Bukuru said the illness, which has similar symptoms to Newcastle Disease, was affecting the economic lives of people raising chickens or trading in meat and eggs.

"Egg production has dropped by 80 percent," he said.

He added that the meat of infected chickens did not pose a threat to human health as long as it was well-cooked.

And although the disease itself can be passed on to humans, the only effects are mild conjunctivitis.

Laboratory tests were being carried out to determine the precise identity of the disease, although he ruled out the possibility of it being avian influenza.

"Bird flu has not yet reached Burundi up to now," Bukuru said.

No treatment is available for the disease, and although chicks can be vaccinated, doing so would be impractical in a country where most poultry is kept by individual households.

bn/am/mw
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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/c9f9b29a8c5726201401f320f698066f.htm

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