Retrospective Study of the Burden of Avian influenza in Kano State, Nigeria: A secondary Data Analysis 2015-2017

Abstract

Over 1.2 million poultry birds were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (H5N1) in Nigeria between 2006 and 2008. A resurgence of HPAI in 2014 in Kano and its spread to other states plagued the poultry subsector with job losses, increased poultry mortality and a drastic fall in revenues. We carried out this study to determine the pattern, trend and burden of HPAI in poultry birds between 2015 and 2017 in Kano State Nigeria. We obtained Avian Influenza (AI) surveillance data for 2015-2017 from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja. Variables analyzed were the number of poultry chicken affected, mortality in infected poultry, the number of poultry depopulated by local government areas (LGAs), and trends of avian influenza within the study area. In the years under review, over 3.7 million poultry chickens were affected across 26 states in Nigeria. Kano State accounted for 30% of the total mortality in Nigeria. In 2015, 648,686 poultry chickens were exposed to HPAI, H5N1 across 21 LGAs in Kano, 34,504 (5.3%) died, 561,126 (94.7%) was depopulated. In 2016, 382,963 poultry birds were exposed, 9,737 (2.5%) died and 375,026 (94.7%) poultry was depopulated. In 2017, targeted surveillance conducted on a pool of ducks at Sabon Gari market in Kano led to the isolation of HPAI. H5H8. The decline in the incidence of AI cases from week 17-31 of 2015 and week 13-33 of 2017 was in tandem with supplies of AI control kits and equipment to Kano State. These measures should be complemented with the training of poultry stakeholders on biosecurity measures on the farm with a view of preventing a future outbreak of avian influenza. These findings have been communicated to the Chief veterinary officer of Nigeria for consideration.