KATHMANDU, 17 February 2009 (IRIN) - The H5NI virus has been brought under control after a month-long outbreak in poultry in Jhapa district, nearly 500km south-east of the capital, according to government officials.
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Risks
However, the potential for new outbreaks is great, according to avian influenza specialists.
A team of experts from the UN Crisis Management Centre-Animal Health (CMC-AH) visited the country recently. CMC-AH was established in October2006 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to enhance FAO's ability to help countries prevent and cope with disease outbreaks.
The CMC-AH team stated after their assessment that while the government's response was efficient and thorough, there were still major risks of outbreaks.
"The response has been robust and with impressive speed but there is still a need for … heightened awareness," said David Hadrill, mission leader of CMC-AH.
Government officials have also said the country remained at risk given that its neighbours, particularly China and India, have a history of bird flu outbreaks. Nepal's huge poultry industry also relies largely on imports from West Bengal and Bihar in India.
Ongoing concerns
Government officials expressed concern over the critical shortage of trained veterinarians, the lack of adequate laboratories for testing and supplies of disinfectants for spraying contaminated areas. There is also a lack of communication equipment to increase public awareness about prevention measures, they said.
The CMC-AH team agreed there was an urgent need for more lab equipment, facility upgrades and consumables to safely and effectively perform diagnostic assessments. It has recommended the Nepalese government consider scenario planning and a financial fund to deal with multiple outbreaks should they occur.
It added that the surveillance was very crucial in the coming months and more resources should be allocated to training. The government is already planning a three-month-long surveillance campaign in the affected areas of east Nepal.
"Fortunately, the bird flu occurred in only one place [Jhapa]. We would be unable to control the outbreak if it had taken place in more than three places [simultaneously]," a government official, who requested anonymity, told IRIN.
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