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GHANA: BIRD-FLU THREATENS GHANAIANS February 17, 2006
Apunyu Bonny
(SomaliNet) Following a recent emergence of avian influenza, or bird flu, in Nigeria Ghanaians have been cautioned to take heed against the danger posed by the deadly disease, a medical officer for the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.
It is feared that the presence of bird-flu in Nigeria indicates that the fowl-born virus could arrive in Ghana in its spread worldwide, Dr. Harry Opata said at the WHO Communicable Disease Prevention Control department in Accra.
"This viral infection has shown that it has the ability to infect human beings that are in contact with ill birds, or in an environment where the virus is circulated," said Dr. Opata. "The virus has affected a number of people in a number of countries, and is associated with severe illness and death."
Dr. Opata said the WHO is concerned with how the virus can adapt to infect and possibly spread to human beings. "No country is far away from the possibility of having birds migrating, and carrying the disease along with them - especially when migratory routes overlap." He said.
Dr. Opata explained it is especially hard to identify sick birds in migratory populations; emphasizing that these birds frequent large water bodies on their routes.
"Birds don't know geographic borders that exist on paper. From Ghana to Nigeria, we are one bloc of population in a dynamic equilibrium. God does not love Ghana and hate Nigeria." He said.