Bird Flu (Avian Influenza) in Africa

Last week there were confirmed reports of the deadly Bird Flu strain H5N1, found in a poultry farm in Nigeria. No human has been infected as of yet but workers at the poultry farm are still being screened. The fear is that Africa may be ill-equipped to deal with an outbreak of bird flu since its health infrastructure is weak to say the least.

If the outbreak of the bird flu virus does spread to other African countries and into the human population, what should you as a visitor watch out for? Well, so far the good news is that the virus has only affected those in direct contact with infected poultry. Basically it lives in the guts and gore of a slain chicken, turkey or duck, so chances of catching it are slim unless you handle entrails regularly while on holiday. The problem with all flu viruses is they change so quickly, and the fear is that one day the deadly H5N1 strain will be passed from human to human.

Can you eat chicken while traveling in a country with the virus confirmed? Read on to find out more about Bird Flu, its symptoms, risks and treatment.