STUDIES ON PREVALENCE OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA (HPAI) IN NORTHERN PART OF KADUNA STATE
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Date
2010-04-26
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Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
Abstract
The study assessed the incidence, mortality and financial losses during the 2006 – 2007
Highly Pathogenic Aavian Influenza (H5N1) poultry outbreaks in Kaduna State;
determined H5 antibodies prevalence among poultry in live bird markets, biosecurity
practices and infrastructure in these markets through the use of outbreak data,
haemagglutination inhibition test and structured questionnaires. Of the 128 farms
involved in HPAI (H5N1) outbreaks, 85% were commercial farms with a mortality rate
of 53.18 % and 113,151 (48.04%) poultry were depopulated. Sixty-six per cent of
outbreak cases were reported after five days of onset with 92 % reported after all the
birds were dead. Eighty-eight per cent of the farms did not seek veterinary advice, with
7.8 % of the farms were keeping multi-aged or multi-species poultry together. Farmers
practiced borrowing of equipment and egg crates from other farms. The total financial
losses during the epidemics was 984,500,272.00 Naira. Six of the seven live bird markets
sampled had positive for H5 antibodies with Makarfi having the highest prevalence of
18.18 %. Poultry sampled had an overall prevalence of 7.84 % with pigeons having the
highest prevalence of 18.18 %. Only 15.19 % of the live bird market studied had pipe
borne water and all markets were located around residential areas and were not fenced.
Among marketers, 98.73% and 88.73% respectively, do not seprate poultry by age or
species with 41.77 % keeping poultry with rabbits. Most poultry processors do not wear
protective clothing and engaged in risky behaviours. Poultry offal was eaten by 97.5 % of
respondents. Most marketers trade in sick birds and throw away dead poultry.About
seventy respondents (69.62 %) reported that the markets were not decontaminated with
63.29 % of respondents willing to disclose HPAI (H5N1) outbreak.