Introduction: Avian Influenza H5N1 subtype is highly pathogenic, and since its re-emergence in , has spread across several continents, including Africa. Outbreaks pose a threat to public health and have seriously impacted livelihoods and international trade. We investigated to estimate the magnitude, identify human cases and contacts and to institute control measures.
Contacts were people who touched poultry or poultry products, visited or worked in the affected farms. We identified and interviewed poultry farmers from affected farms and households as well as other human contacts using a structured questionnaire. We listed contacts and followed them up for 7 days. Oropharyngeal swab was taken from symptomatic human contacts for Polymerase Chain Reaction.
Environmental assessment was carried out. Data was analyzed into frequencies, proportions, median and interquartile range using Microsoft Excel Results: a total of free-range local birds from 33 households were affected with 50 deaths case fatality of Body temperatures monitored ranged from One contact, a year old boy, developed symptoms of sore throat and fever.
He had had processed and consumed dead birds. Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swab specimen from him tested negative for H5N1.
Conclusion: an outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 occurred among local birds in Bawjiase. No human infections occurred. Birds and their products in all affected and neighboring households were destroyed and the households disinfected.
