SA bans poultry from Nigeria as bird flu bites

RAY SMUTS THERE’S BEEN swift reaction to the news that Nigeria has been hit by the deadly H5N1 avian (bird) flu which has already killed at least 90 people in South East Asia and surrounds. South Africa, along with Mauretania, has banned all imports of poultry products from Nigeria where it is reported at least 40 000 birds have already been destroyed. Despite initial concerns that the disease could well be carried by East European migratory birds with a particular penchant for East African terrain - Rwanda a prime example – Nigerian authorities suspect the infected birds could have been illegally imported. A United Nations official says if the situation in Nigeria gets out of control, it will have a ‘devastating impact’ on the region’s poultry population.