Map. Officially reported HPAI outbreaks (H5N1, H5N2 and H5N8 subtypes) in sub-Saharan Africa, by onset date (1 October 2021 – 12 January 2023)

Note: Map A shows confirmed HPAI events observed from 1 October 2022 to 12 January 2023 (current wave). Map B shows HPAI events observed from 01 October 2021 to 30 September 2022 (previous wave).

For a summary of H5N1, H5N6, and H5N8 HPAI events reported in sub-Saharan African countries in previous waves (i.e. before 1 October 2022) please contact EMPRES-Animal Health

FAO's support to countries

Global level

• FAO-SNE has scheduled a webinar to present an overview of the health situation of the HPAI disease globally and in the countries of North Africa and to strengthen the capacities of the countries to detect the disease and household management. [link]
• The WHO published a rapid assessment of risk associated with recent influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses Rapid risk assessment. [link]
• OFFLU held an online discussion on 5 December 2022 to discuss the avian influenza situation in poultry and wild birds for experts to share experiences on the most recent wave of outbreaks in different countries. A summary can be found here.
• FAO participated in the 7th World One Health Congress held in Singapore from 8 to 11 November 2022 and presented preliminary results of the Qualitative Risk Assessment addressing H5 HPAI risk of introduction in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
• The 7th World One Health Congress is being held in Singapore from 7 to 11 November 2022.
• International Alliance for Biological Standardization (IABS) held a meeting on 25-26 October 2022 addressing High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Vaccination Strategies to prevent and control HPAI: Removing unnecessary barriers for usage.Conclusions and recommendations are now available.
• The Quadripartite has published the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH-JPA). It provides a framework for action and proposes a set of activities that the four organizations can offer together to enable countries to advance and scale up One Health in managing human, animal, plant and environment health threats.
• FAO through its Virtual Learning Center developed an Avian Influenza Preparedness Course. A regional course for East Africa was launched on 3 November 2022. More information available at this link.
• The OFFLU published the Vaccine Composition Meeting covering the period February – September 2022 for avian influenza and  swine influenza.
• The Zoonotic Session of the WHO Vaccine Composition Meeting was held on 20 September 2022. The report of the meeting is available on the WHO website. [link]
• On 19 September 2022, FAO published the guidelines entitled Guiding principles for the design of avian influenza active surveillance in Asia: Designing active, comprehensive, risk-based avian influenza surveillance. [link]
• The Tripartite (FAO-WOAH-WHO) together with the WOAH/FAO Network of Expertise on Animal Influenza (OFFLU) has conducted a joint rapid risk assessment addressing the recent influenza A(H3N8) human infection in China. [link]
• Avian influenza report of the WOAH/FAO Network of expertise on animal influenzas (OFFLU) covering the period September 2021 – February 2022. [link]
• On 18 February 2022, FAO issued an alert to Chief Veterinary Officers, FAO offices, and wild bird partner organizations on the increased risk of High pathogenicity Avian Influenza outbreaks in wild bird populations in Africa.
• FAO held a webinar entitled Managing HPAI in wild birds on 10 February 2022. The recording of the webinar is available at these links: part 1 & part 2.
• The Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds issued a statement on 24 January 2022 relative to recent mass mortality in some wild bird populations in the United Kingdom and Israel. [link]
• The OFFLU Network issued a statement on 24 December 2021 addressing the recent introduction of H5N1 HPAI in Canada. [link]
• WHO published an assessment on 19 November 2021 addressing the risk associated with high pathogenicity avian influenza A(H5N6) virus. [link]
• The OFFLU network issued an avian influenza statement on 10 November 2021 addressing recent H5Nx high pathogenicity avian influenza virus reassortments. [link]
• WHO developed an online training course entitled Strengthening collaboration between human and animal health sectors for improved health security, freely available at this link. The course covers the Tripartite Zoonosis Guide and associated tools in Module 2.
• HQ (NSAH/EMPRES), ECTAD-Accra and RAF liaising with affected countries and those at risk for HPAI introduction and spread.
• USD 6.2 million mobilized from FAO internal resources (SFERA and TCP), AfDB, ROK and USAID to support assessments and immediate response for HPAI introduction and spread.

Regional level

• FAO-ECTAD Regional Office for West and Central Africa:
• In collaboration with HQ (Lab Unit/Emergency stockpile), supported Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Togo, and Nigeria in sending their H5N1-positive samples to the reference laboratory in Padova, Italy for further confirmation and sequencing. So far during 2022, the results received for these countries are follows:
• Results for Nigeria confirmed H5N1 HPAI in poultry, with one sample characterized as H5N2 HPAI. This is the first time H5N2 has been detected in commercial poultry in Nigeria. Previous detections of H5N2 were in wild birds more than 10 years ago. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the H5N1 viruses belong to clade 2.3.4.4b and are closely related to viruses that have been circulating in poultry in Senegal, Niger and Nigeria since early 2021. This may suggest persistent circulation of the virus in West Africa. Advanced genetic characterization of H5N2 HPAI indicated potential re-assortment between H5N1 HPAI and H9N2 LPAI viruses.
• Results received for Senegal identified all H5N1 viruses from wild birds (Pelicans) as belonging to clade 2.3.4.4b. In particular, they are closely related to the H5N1 HPAI viruses currently circulating in Europe (epidemic wave 2021-2022) and cluster separately from the H5N1 identified in Senegal in December 2020-January 2021, therefore indicating a novel virus incursion in the country.
• Results for Niger from the recent outbreaks in poultry (in 2022) cluster with the H5N1 viruses previously identified in 2021 and Nigeria in 2021, and with H5N1 viruses which circulated in Europe from October 2020 to December 2021.
• Results for Mali showed that the H5N1 subtype viruses in poultry belong to clade 2.3.4.4b, the genetic group responsible for the ongoing epidemic incursion into Central Asia and Europe, which has been recently identified also in the African continent. Together, they cluster with H5N1 samples collected in the Netherland, Italy, Nigeria, Scotland (H5N1) and Slovakia (H5N5) collected between October 2020 and March 2021.
• Results for Guinea confirmed that H5N1 viruses isolated from poultry fall within clade 2.3.4.4b and are closely related to H5N1 HPAI viruses identified in West Africa since early 2021. In addition, these viruses appear closely related to H5N1 HPAI viruses from Nigeria, Niger, and Senegal from 2020-2022, except for the PA gene which clusters with H9N2 viruses of the G1 lineage collected in West Africa between 2017 and 2020; thus, this may suggest that the H5N1 viruses circulating in Guinea are H5N1/H9N2 reassortant viruses.
• Supported the recently established Regional Incident Coordination Group (ICG) for West Africa on HPAI under the leadership of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC), which held their second virtual meeting on 11 March 2022 with the participation of all 15 West Africa Countries. The first ICG meeting was held on 15 September 2021.
• Supported Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Gabon and Senegal in managing the poultry and wild bird mortality events due to H5 HPAI, as well as at-risk countries as regional level coordination in 2022.

National level

• Gabon:
  • An FAO-EMC emergency field mission was conducted in Gabon from 4 to 8 July 2022 in response to the recent H5N1 HPAI outbreaks reported in Estuaire Province. The FAO-EMC team collaborated with the General Directorate of Livestock to investigate affected farms, assess the emergency response capacity, identify the current gaps in the animal health surveillance system, including the capacity of the Central Veterinary Laboratory of Libreville for the diagnosis of priority diseases, and develop tailored recommendations. The current outbreak has been managed and no additional outbreaks were reported since mid-May 2022.
• Côte d’Ivoire:
• As part of government support, compensation of about 150 poultry owners whose flocks had to be depopulated during the 2021 HPAI emergency response started on 3 February 2022.
• On 27 January 2022, veterinary services retrospectively notified to WOAH two H5N1 HPAI outbreaks in domestic birds in Abidjan district – in Grand-Bassam and Bingerville localities. The events occurred on 10 and 21 November 2021.
• FAO ECTAD Côte d’Ivoire supported the national government to conduct investigations and with enhancing the capacity of the national laboratory through the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfectant, reagents, and consumables using the FAO emergency stockpile and the online primers and probes ordering service set up by FAO HQ.
• FAO ECTAD Guinea, in collaboration with EMC-AH, supported the Government of Guinea to undertake a HPAI risk assessment mission to identify risk factors for introduction and spread as well as assessing the capacity of the Veterinary Services in terms of readiness for HPAI emergency response.
• FAO ECTAD Guinea, in collaboration with EMC-AH, supported the Government of Guinea to undertake a HPAI risk assessment mission to identify risk factors for introduction and spread as well as assessing the capacity of the Veterinary Services in terms of readiness for HPAI emergency response.
• Senegal:
• FAO ECTAD Senegal supported veterinary services to respond to the HPAI outbreak in Saint-Louis Region through a follow-up mission. During the mission conducted from 7 to 12 March 2022, FAO ECTAD provided equipment (PPEs, disinfectants, consumables, fuel, etc.), and livestock feed for impacted communities around the park in order to respond to and control the HPAI outbreak in the National park of Djoudj, Saint-Louis Region.
• In addition, FAO ECTAD supported the LNERV laboratory by procuring and providing reagents and consumables for the detection of HPAI outbreaks.
• FAO supported LNERV laboratory for samples transportation and sequencing of HPAI viruses to Padova international reference laboratory.
• FAO ECTAD Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Mali supported the national governments to conduct further investigation, enhance the capacity of national laboratories, and provide direct support through provision of PPEs, disinfectant’s, reagents and consumables.

Important links

• FAO published the Manual for the management of operations during an animal health emergency.
• Report of the WHO Vaccine Composition Meeting – February 2022.
• FAO published the third edition of the Good emergency management practice - The essentials: A guide to preparing for animal health emergencies.
• The FAO/CMS-led Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds issued a statement on 12 February 2021: H5N8 (and other subtypes) Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry and wild birds - Winter of 2020/2021 with focus on management of protected areas in the African Eurasian region.
• The Tripartite Joint Risk Assessment (JRA) Operational Tool to address zoonotic health threats at the animal-human-environment interface is now available online in all UN languages. 
• The Tripartite Zoonoses Guide is now available in all UN languages.
• Focus On  “2016–2018 Spread of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in sub-Saharan Africa: epidemiological and ecological observations”.
• Focus On “Highly Pathogenic H5 Avian Influenza in 2016 and 2017 – Observations and future perspectives”.
• Risk Assessment addressing H5N8 HPAI in Uganda and the risk of spread to neighbouring countries, April 2017.
• Qualitative Risk Assessment addressing H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza spread in the Central African region.

Disclaimer

Information provided herein is current as of the date of issue. Information added or changed since the last Sub-Saharan HPAI situation update appears in orange. For poultry cases with unknown onset dates, reporting dates were used instead. FAO compiles information communicated by field officers on the ground in affected countries, from regional offices, and from the World Organisation for Animal Health [WOAH], as well as peer-reviewed scientific articles. FAO makes every effort to ensure, but does not guarantee, accuracy, completeness or authenticity of the information. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on these map(s) do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. Dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement.