According to two Follow-up Reports from the veterinary authority to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), there have been 54 new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Nigeria.

One report details two outbreaks, both in the south of the country – one on a farm of 2,500 35-week-old layers in Port Harcourt City in Rivers state, starting on 20 April, and the other started on 9 May in a mixed backyard flock of 356 birds in Ojo in Lagos state.

A total of 52 outbreaks were recorded in a separate report, all starting between January and March this year. All these were in central and northern states of Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi and Kano.

Most of these outbreaks were in laying birds or pullets; some were on farms and others in backyard flocks.

In all 54 outbreaks, 169,920 birds were affected; 7,659 died and the rest were destroyed.

The presence of the H5N1 subtype of the virus has been confirmed.