Senegal Reports Bird Flu Outbreak On A Poultry Farm In The Thies Region

Senegal has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu on a poultry farm in the Thies region, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday.

It has been reported that 58,000 birds in the 100,000 strong flock were killed. 

H5N1 – a type of influenza virus – causes a highly infectious, severe respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza (or “bird flu”).

Humans can occasionally contract H5N1 avian influenza but transmission from an infected person to another is difficult. When people do become infected, the mortality rate is about 60 percent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Infection in people is mostly associated with close contact with infected live or dead birds, or H5N1-contaminated environments.

So far, there is no evidence that the disease can be spread to people through properly prepared and thoroughly cooked food.