Briefs
/ Project highlights
Helping poultry farmers in Libya to halt the spread of deadly avian influenza
Since its introduction to Libya in December 2015, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has spread to a number of farms in the country, causing serious economic losses to poultry farmers and affecting public health. Between 2014 and 2015, the losses to farmers caused by the disease were estimated at over USD10 million. The lack of qualified human resources and appropriate equipment meant that the outbreaks were not deeply investigated, while the absence of biosecurity measures and awareness enabled the evolution of the disease in the country, reaching over 60 percent in backyard farms and leading to an increase in the number of human deaths during the cold season of 2015.
To halt the spread of the “H5N1” strain and reduce its impact upon human health and food security, there was a clear need to identify the origin of the infection, control poultry along the value chain, apply biosecurity measures and manage outbreaks, as well as increasing the awareness of stakeholders and the population as a whole.
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