By Lawrence Paganga
Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, and the Ministry of Health and Social Services confirmed on Thursday the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 strain in wild birds along the coastal line of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund in Erongo region.
The government has also with immediate effect banned the movement of live domestic or wild birds from coastal areas of Erongo region except for the imports and in-transit consignments originating from other countries.
According to the statement by the ministries, the HPAI H5N1 is a zoonotic strain that can be transmitted to humans from infected birds, the two ministries said in a joint statement.
Over 200 dead wild birds, mainly the Cape Cormorants have been located from two weeks ago on Bird Island, which is near Walvis Bay and close to the Salt Company in Swakopmund.
“The source of infection is believed to be the wild migratory birds and the HPAI H5N1 strain is being detected for the first time in the history of Namibia,” they added.
The government ministries said they were jointly conducting disease outbreak investigations and instituted has asked poultry farmers and the general public to immediately report any suspicion of sick or dead domestic or wild birds along the entire Namibian Coastal Line to the nearest state veterinary office.
“(The) movement of live domestic and wild birds from coastal areas of Erongo region is prohibited in exception of the imports and in-transit consignments originating from other countries,” the statement added.
Furthermore, farmers and the general public have been urged to cooperate, support, and comply with the control measures put in place to prevent the further spread of avian influenza infection.
The government is also investigating whether the avian influenza strain has infected humans.
Coastal residents have also been cautioned not to touch dead birds in any circumstances while health workers have been tasked to be on high alert not to miss people who might have caught the flu, amidst Covid-19, as symptoms are similar.
Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Jona Musheko said his department had been carrying out tests, several seabirds have been found dead along the coastline for the past weeks.
“It was confirmed that it is avian influenza type A virus, but we still need to confirm with a second laboratory which strain it is. Either way, we must still take the same precautions,” Musheko said.
These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other birds and animal species.
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