Posted on March 11, 2010.
The economic impact of avian flu on poultry production in Nigeria's South-West 1. Introduction
With the global spread of highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) in several countries since 2003 and especially the confirmation of the epidemic in Nigeria, we have focused new attention on the sub-sector by the Government of Nigeria (GON) and the international community community. Under this new initiative, FAO intends to collate information available under way to provide an overview of the poultry sub-sector in Nigeria. Avian influenza virus (killer) was initially considered a highly lethal, systemic disease (ie, highly pathogenic to highly virulent bird flu) from the late 1870s 1981.HP AI has been known various names, including avian flu (most common), fowl pest, plague aviaire; gelugel pests, gallinarium typhus exudation, and the bird Brunswick fever (WHO, 2004).
Bird flu has been reported as HP AI (avian influenza) in 1878 by Perruacito Italy. Initially, the disease has been confused with the acute septicemic form of fowl cholera until 1880 when Rivoltgo Delprato and differentiated based on both clinical and pathological characteristics. In 1901, Centanni and savonuzzi determined that the cause was a filterable agent, but the virus has not been classified as an influenza virus until 1995 (WHO, 2006).
On February 2006, Nigeria has officially announced the case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry in the village of Jaji in Kaduna state after the disease has been found in Sambawa Farms in January 2006.
Economic growth and public health implications of diseases are treated by the U.S. Agency for International Development in collaboration with the Nigerian government which gave a training workshop in the town southwest of Ibadan following its outbreak in May 2006.This study therefore differs from other studies with its main objective which includes determining the effect of the outbreak of avian flu on poultry producers. It examines the effect of the price of poultry products, labor, the amount spent on drugs, veterinary care, the amount of water used on the output from poultry products.
2. The theoretical framework
Avian influenza (bird flu) is a viral disease caused by avian influenza virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae and genus (kind) of influenza A virus, characterized by respiratory distress, and reduces power consumption water. In laying birds, there is a decline in egg production and quality. (Brooks et al 2004). Migratory waterfowl, especially wild chicks are the natural reservoir of avian influenza virus and birds are also more resistant to infection. Domestic poultry, including chickens and turkeys are particularly susceptible to epidemics of rapidly fatal influenza (WHO, 2004). The direct or indirect contact of domestic flocks with wild migratory water birds has been implicated as a frequent cause of epidemics. The live bird markets have also played an important role in the spread of the epidemic (WHO, 2004).
Recent research has shown that viruses of low pathogenicity can, after circulation for sometimes short periods in a poultry population, mutate into highly pathogenic. During a 1983-1984 epidemic in the United States of America, the H5N2 virus initially caused low mortality approaching 90%. Controlling the epidemic required the destruction of more than 17 million birds at a cost of nearly U.S. 65million.During and an epidemic of 1999-2001 in Italy, the H7N1 virus, initially of low pathogenicity, mutated nine months a highly pathogenic form. More than 13 million birds have died or been destroyed. In addition to being contagious, avian influenza viruses are readily transmitted from farm to farm by mechanical means, such as contaminated equipment, vehicles, feed, cages or clothing. Highly pathogenic viruses can survive in the environment are.
