ROME, Aug 12: A strain of highly pathogenic bird flu previously not recorded in sub-Saharan Africa has been detected in Nigeria, the UN food agency said on Tuesday.

Laboratory results from Nigeria and a Food and Agriculture reference laboratory in Italy show that the newly discovered virus strain is genetically different from the strains that circulated in Nigeria in 2006 and 2007, the Rome-based agency said in a statement.

“The detection of a new avian influenza virus strain in Africa raises serious concerns as it remains unknown how this strain has been introduced to the continent,” warned Scott Newman of the FAO’s Animal Health Service.

The new strain is similar to ones previously identified in Italy, Afghanistan and Iran last year, the FAO said.

“It seems to be unlikely that wild birds have carried the strain to Africa, since ... this year’s southerly migration into Africa has not really started yet,” Newman said, suggesting “other channels for virus introduction (including) international trade ... or illegal and unreported movement of poultry.

He warned that this increased the risk of avian influenza spreading to other countries in western Africa.

Since the avian influenza epidemic caused by the H5N1 strain started five years ago in Asia, the disease has affected more than 60 countries, most of which have succeeded to eliminate the virus from poultry, the FAO said.

In Nigeria, the virus was first confirmed in February 2006 and infected poultry in 25 states before being contained, but the west African economic powerhouse has recently reported two new highly pathogenic bird flu outbreaks in the northern states of Katsina and Kano. —AFP