For the first time since 2006, the H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in Cameroon, putting the number of countries in the region who have battled the virus at six.

13 July 2016, Rome - Countries across West and Central Africa are on alert as the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1continues to spread across the region, with Cameroon becoming the latest African country to detect the disease.  The strain can infect and cause death in humans and kills poultry at a high rate.

The latest H5N1 outbreaks were recently confirmed on chicken farms in Cameroon putting the poultry production in the country and its neighbours at high risk. This is the first time the disease has been found in Central Africa since 2006.