The authorities have alerted to the presence of bird flu in Mali since April 26. Dr. Damen Keita Tèze, veterinarian at the Veterinary Space, explains what bird flu is and how it threatens humans.
Mali Tribune: What is bird flu?
Dr. Ladies Keita Tèze : Avian influenza is an infection caused by influenza viruses of types A and in particular by subtypes H5, H7 and H9.
This infection can affect almost all species of wild or domestic birds. It is generally asymptomatic in wild birds but can be highly contagious and lead to extremely high mortality in factory farms. It is rampant in birds. Its mortality rate is very high in farmed birds (chicken, geese, etc.). While most viruses do not infect humans, some subtypes can sometimes cross the species barrier. This is the case with H5N1 pathogenic for humans.
At present, transmission is only from animals to humans, but the authorities fear an evolution of the virus to a form transmissible from humans to humans.
Symptoms in men may be fever, body aches, chest and muscle pain, difficulty breathing, headache, mild conjunctivitis (itchy red eye), bleeding gum and nose. .
Mali Tribune: How do you know if poultry have bird flu?
Dr. Keita : To find out there are several parameters. We must first observe their physical condition, a lack of energy, a drop in production in the layers …
In addition, it takes a test to confirm. To do the vaccination you need a profiling program. For bird flu, it is done on day 1 with 3 reminders afterwards to protect poultry. And the interval between the first and second vaccination is 2-3 weeks, and the last booster is 2 weeks before the chicks enter.
Mali Tribune: What are the dangers of avian influenza for humans?
Dr. DKT: Not all influenza viruses attack humans. Avian influenza is a major zoonosis. It is transmitted by handling poultry and by animal products such as milk or eggs, etc.
To protect yourself, you must respect hygiene measures: frequent hand washing and for veterinarians, you must wear a mask regularly. Its transmission causes a very serious form of influenza which results in death in 40 to 60% of cases and, on the other hand, cases of human-to-human transmission are extremely rare.
Mali Tribune: Is there a cure for an affected subject?
Dr. DKT : Yes if they are taken care of very early as a preventive measure upon exposure to the virus or at the latest within 48 hours of the first signs of illness. And they would then be likely to reduce the duration and severity of the disease.
Interview by
Aïchatou Konare
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