Côte d’Ivoire H5N1 Outbreak

Côte d’Ivoire has reported a new H5N1 bird-flu outbreak at a commercial poultry farm in Koun-Fao, near the Ghana border. (reuters.com) The World Organisation for Animal Health said the virus killed about 95,000 birds on the farm, according to a report filed by Ivorian authorities on April 16. (thepoultrysite.com) H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, a bird-flu strain that can spread fast through flocks and cause heavy mortality in chickens and other poultry. FAO, the U.N. food agency, said countries in sub-Saharan Africa are in a high-risk period and should tighten surveillance and farm biosecurity. (fao.org) The outbreak lands in a poultry market that had been expanding quickly. Ecofin Agency reported Côte d’Ivoire’s poultry sector nearly tripled over the past decade, making a large farm loss more significant for supply and producers. (ecofinagency.com) The country had not reported a major avian-flu outbreak since 2021, according to Ecofin and Reuters-linked reports citing animal-health authorities. That gap means the new case ends several years without a reported large event in commercial poultry. (ecofinagency.com) Officials had not identified the source of the outbreak as of April 20. Ecofin said authorities were focusing on containment and reinforced monitoring to keep the virus from spreading beyond the affected area. (ecofinagency.com) Globally, FAO, the World Health Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health said in their latest joint assessment that public-health risk from current A(H5) viruses remains low, though risk is higher for people with frequent exposure to infected birds. (who.int) For now, the immediate test is whether Côte d’Ivoire can ring-fence the Koun-Fao outbreak before more farms are hit. The official response is centered on surveillance, biosecurity and rapid control measures. (fao.org)