November 7, 2005

 

African ministers urge resource sharing and data on bird flu

 

 

Agriculture ministers from 17 African nations appealed Friday for countries on the continent to pool resources and share information on bird flu.

 

African leaders are worried that migratory birds from Europe and Asia could carry the deadly strain of the virus to the continent.

 

"The first birds should hit the continent in two to three weeks," said Aberra Deressa, the outgoing head of the council of African ministers responsible for animal resources. "We cannot move separately, we have to move together or we will fail."

 

The outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain began in 2003 in Asia, where it has devastated flocks of birds. The disease is not easily spread to humans, but 62 people-mostly poultry workers-who contracted the disease in Asia have died, according to the World Health Organization.

 

Health authorities fear that if the virus mutates, it could be more easily spread to people, sparking a flu pandemic.

 

Africa is of particular concern, because with its strained infrastructure, experts fear any cases of the virus will be poorly reported and poorly managed.

 

"We are going to be affected seriously if we don't tackle the problem now," said Aberra, who is also Ethiopia's minister for agriculture and rural development.

 

Livestock experts attending the meeting warned that an H5N1 outbreak on the continent "could be potentially more severe than in Asia, in view of the fact that a large number of rural people live in close association with domestic fowl".

 

Africa has an estimated 1.1 billion domestic poultry.

 

The ministers appealed for the international community to provide funds to support national and regional efforts to combat bird flu on the world's poorest continent.