Animal health body reports bird flu in Ivory Coast

PARIS, Apr 26 (Reuters) The first case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been reported in Ivory Coast, where 17 infected birds were found in the Abidjan area, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said today.

Bird flu outbreaks have been reported in five other African countries, including Egypt where the World Health Organisation says there have been 12 human cases, four of them fatal.

Health experts fear Africa's poor human and animal health services, large backyard poultry population and lack of resources could make it an easy target for a broader outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, already blamed for the deaths of more than 100 people worldwide.

The Paris-based OIE said the two separated outbreaks of bird flu in Ivory Coast in West Africa concerned seven free-range chickens, nine ducks and one sparrowhawk.

''Two outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been reported in Abidjan district (Marcory Anoumabo and Treichville communes) in Lagunes region,'' it said in a statement on its Web site.

Local officials had begun destroying some birds, disinfecting the area and restricting movement there, it added.

It said it received confirmation of the cases yesterday from the Ministry of Animal Production and Fish Resources in Abidjan.

REUTERS SRS RAI0058