Burkina Faso hit by outbreak of H5N1 bird flu

Burkina Faso is experiencing an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian flu which has resulted in at least half a million chickens being killed by the flu or culled to contain the spread of the virus.

On Friday, the government issued a statement saying the chicken flu had been detected late last year across 42 hotspots in the centre and west of the country.

Animal Resources Minister Moussa Kabore, who spoke to journalists on Saturday, said tests had confirmed the presence of the flu, adding that 1.3 million boxes of eggs had been destroyed

“At the end of December 2021, we noted a high mortality rate among poultry at our country’s production sites,” Kabore said.

A number of measures have been initiated to tackle the disease including monitoring spots where wild birds converge for potential cases and capturing and testing sick or dead birds for the virus.

The news is highly concerning for the West African nation as livestock rearing is one of its largest industries and its third-highest foreign exchange earner, after gold and cotton production.

Poultry farming is crucial to small households which use it as an income-generating activity and a source of food.

Burkina Faso has been plagued by a series of bird flu outbreaks since the H5N1 strain hit the world in 2006. Most bird flu cases outbreaks in the West African nation are blamed on migratory birds.

(Story compiled with assistance from wire reports)