Dr Tinuke Ahamed
(Resident)
Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program
Paper presented at PENAPH first international workshop,
Chiang Mai ,Thailand
11-13 Dec.2012

Outline
Introduction
Methodology
Study area
Sampling and sampling technique
Data collection and management
Results
Conclusion/Discussion
2

Introduction
outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
first reported in Nigeria’s Kaduna state in February
2006.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and is
home to about 175 million domestic poultry.
Poultry production system in Nigeria is both extensive
and intensive.
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Introduction
The extensive system consists of the vast majority of
poultry (>143 million) are free ranging birds in rural
area
Reported outbreaks in Nigeria occurred
in the semi-commercial/ commercial operations.
backyard poultry production units in urban and peri-
urban areas
no reported spread into the surrounding rural areas
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Introduction
Risk of transmission is very high
Few large commercial farms have adequate bio-
security measures.
Nigerian Government formed a national steering
committee to implement strategies to control the
spread of the disease
Despite the control strategies at national and state
levels, the disease continued to spread
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Introduction
Attributed to weaknesses in existing disease
surveillance system for early detection of the disease
and poor reporting from rural areas.
Participatory Epidemiology
approach to disease investigation in rural areas
uses community participation
gives stakeholders a role in disease identification and
shaping control programs.
6

Introduction
Study was conducted to identify possible undetected
HPAI outbreaks using participatory epidemiology (PE)
techniques in villages in Niger state.
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Methodology
Study area: Niger state
8

Methodology
North West zone of Nigeria
25 Local Government Areas.
human population of approximately 3,954,772
area of 73,363 Km2.
Livestock population
Cattle -2 million
Sheep -2.1million
Goat -2.6million
Poultry - 6million
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Methodology
Sampling and sampling technique
A village represents a sampling unit.
multi-stage sampling was used
4 LGA were selected from the 25 LGAs
30 villages were selected randomly
10

Methodology
Data collection
Focus group discussions (FGD) involving at least 8
people were conducted using the local language
guided by a check list of open ended questions
Information was collected on perceived importance and
prevalence of Livestock and livestock diseases
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Methodology
The primary focus was on poultry diseases that
occurred in the village over the past one year.
The prevalence of villages with suspected HPAI
outbreaks was determined using matrix scoring
techniques
The scoring exercises utilized 100 and 30 beans.
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Methodology
livestock species kept in the village were scored based on
number and importance to family income
List of signs of disease were given instead of diseases hence
matrix scoring for diseases was difficult.
With probing, 2 types of mortalities were established
matrix scoring was carried out for the 2 types of mortality
against a standardized case definition for HPAI
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Methodology
HPAI case definition
sudden death (1-12hrs);
rapidly increasing mortality
observation of other clinical signs
swollen head,
difficulty in breathing,
diarrhea,
hemorrhagic shanks
absence before 2006
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RESULTS
livestock species kept
Cattle,
sheep
goats
chickens
Duck
guinea fowl
turkey
pigeons
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Livestock
species
Number
Median Percentiles
10th 90th
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
Chicken
Duck &others
10
12
15.5
47
13
7
10
11.9
36.7
4
16
20.1
23.1
54.4
19
Table 1
Median scores and their respective percentiles as a result of ranking livestock species kept in
villages in Niger state by number (n =30)
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Table 2: Contribution of Animals kept to Family Income- Simple Ranking. Note: 1 is
most important, 8 is the least important.
Livestock species kept Average scores
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
Chickens
Ducks
Guinea fowl
Turkey
pigeon
1.5
2.8
3.6
2.1
5.5
6.5
6.1
7.9
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RESULTS
No active outbreaks of HPAI were identified during
the fieldwork.
Some past probable outbreaks that fit the case
definition for HPAI were recorded in 16 of the 30 (53%)
villages visited.
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RESULTS
Table 3: Matrix scoring - association of clinical signs with mortality(Probable positive for HPAI)
Death in 1-12 hrs 3 27 0
Did not occur before 2006 0 30 0
Blue/black head
0 30 0
Popoi Swollen head 7 15 8
Difficulty in breathing 12 18 0
Diarrhea 22 8 0
Twisting of head 30 0 0
Pox 0 0 30
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RESULTS
Table 4: Matrix scoring - association of clinical signs with mortality(HPAI negative)
Sudden death (without symptoms) 30 0 0
Death in 1-12 hrs 30 0 0
Did not occur before 2006 0 0 0
Blue/black head 24 0 6
Gusasai Swollen head 21 0 9
Difficulty in breathing 23 0 7
Diarrhea 24 0 6
Twisting of head 30 0 0
Pox 0 0 30
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Conclusion/Discussion
Probable outbreaks of HPAI were detected in selected
villages in Niger state using PE techniques.
PE techniques modified for surveillance purposes is an
effective means to detect animal diseases in rural areas
where conventional surveillance methods are limited.
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Early identification of zoonotic diseases in animals,
such as HPAI, would provide information for early
prevention of human disease.
22

Acknowledgement
Dr Enoch Edoh – Ministry of Agriculture, Minna,
Niger state
International Livestock Research Institute, Ibadan
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja
Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training
Program, Abuja
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