May 25, 2007

Nigeria's poultry farmers vaccinate poultry despite government ban

FAO has warned that commercial poultry farmers in Nigeria vaccinating their chickens against bird flu despite a government ban could be spreading the virus and creating an even deadlier version of bird flu.  

Although vaccination is encouraged in other bird flu hit countries, improper vaccination could spread the disease even faster, said Mohammed Saidu, head of animal health at Nigeria's World Bank-sponsored programme to combat the virus.

Bird flu experts are concerned about reports that large-scale farms have been buying imported vaccines through local markets that are poorly regulated and frequently sell fake or defective products.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health warned that unregulated use of such vaccines could cause the virus to mutate into deadlier versions.

Even though Nigeria bans vaccination, it has done well in controlling the virus through culling, quarantine, disinfecting and surveillance of affected areas, FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said in a report.

Still, FAO recently urged Nigeria to vaccinate as part of its control strategy. Vaccnination should be carried out with quality vaccines and strict monitoring, the FAO said in February.

Nigeria has culled more than one million birds since bird flu was detected in the country in February 2006. 22 of Nigeria's 36 states have been hit and infections still exist in 14 of those states.

Although large scale farms seem eager to vaccinate their chickens, small scale farmers said vaccination would be tedious and expensive.

Moreover, vaccination could affect the country's chicken exports, particularly to South Africa.