‘To keep bird flu out, use bio-security’

What are you doing at FAO to ensure that the deadly Avian Influenza H5N1 disease does not do more damage to poultry farmers across the globe?We’ve been tackling the threat of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) bird flu for over 10 years, mostly in the Middle East, Asia and Egypt with incursion into other […]

What are you doing at FAO to ensure that the deadly Avian Influenza H5N1 disease does not do more damage to poultry farmers across the globe?
We’ve been tackling the threat of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) bird flu for over 10 years, mostly in the Middle East, Asia and Egypt with incursion into other parts of the world and now we have a real incursion of the particular strain of the virus, H5N1, in West Africa. We have developed with our partners a strategy at a global level, regional level, country level and also at the local level, which is very important, to bring the communities into the best practices of production and marketing ensuring that the veterinary services of the veterinary systems are in place so that there is early reporting.
Talking about early reporting, how early is it for farmers to detect the disease because, at times before they know what is going on, the disease has done so much damage already across farms?
Two things happen: this virus is known to be a rapid killer of chickens, so between 24 to 72 hours most of the poultry flocks that are kept close together would die. So the clinical signs are that the birds exhibit a lot of hemorrhaging-bleeding and also acting strangely or their feathers ruffled, it will be a clear indication of this.
Now, what the farmers do is often as soon as they see that the animals are not well, they take it to the market and sell them. This practice is even more dangerous. That is the way the disease spreads. So to be able to work with farmers, communities, association of producers that this practice is very damaging to their communities, the communities next door and the country as a whole and the neighbourhood of West Africa; such practices would be considered improper to say the least.
The government or the regional organisation of ECOWAS must, therefore, have proper policies in place: of compensation, of being able to work with other agencies, it is also very important.
As a veterinarian what advice would you give farmers to forestall the occurrence of bird flu in their farms?
The principal message that I will give is ‘bio security’- bio-security to ensure that no diseased animal comes in contact with your birds. If you’re going to work with your animals, change your shoes, wash your hands and if you do have sick animals don’t sell them. So the bio-security is key. The other tools that we may have – whether it is a rapid diagnosing tool or vaccination, is if you want to keep bird flu out, use bio-security.