Cases of H5N1-type avian influenza have been detected, the first since 2015, in poultry farms in Côte d'Ivoire, the Ivorian Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources, Sidi Tiémoko Touré, announced Thursday August 19.
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"
Since July 20, a high poultry mortality was observed in traditional farming and modern to Mondoukou in the town of Grand-Bassam
," east of Abidjan, according to a press Tiémoko Sidi Touré. "
Analyzes laboratories have confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus type H5N1
”.
The government announced the slaughter since Saturday of all poultry in the area of the outbreak, as "
vigorous measures
". Faced with this resurgence of influenza in Côte d'Ivoire, after the crises of 2006 and 2015, the country has also decided to ban "
the import of poultry from infected countries
", stressing that the epizootic has made its mark. reappearance in West Africa in January 2021.
The H5N1 virus, which propagates the disease, is not only spread by poultry, it is also transmitted by migrating wild birds. Two strains of avian flu, H5N1 (between 2003 and 2011, after a first episode in 1997), then H7N9 (since 2013), have given rise in Asia to human contaminations via infected poultry. But cases of human-to-human transmission remain very rare.
