Nigeria on Wednesday reported its first human death from bird flu, which occurred in mid-January in the commercial capital Lagos, officials said.
“The results of the tests conducted by Nigerian scientists using in-country laboratory facilities confirmed the first human case of Avian Influenza fatality in a 22-year-old female who died in Lagos, Nigeria on 17 January 2007”, an official information ministry statement said.
The results of tests on samples from two other persons who died after suffering flu-like symptoms have not so far been conclusive, a health ministry official said.
“We have evidence that three people have died, two from Lagos and one from Taraba State but we are confirming only one case from the laboratory test. The confirmed case is from Lagos,” Abdullahi Nasidi, director of public health at the ministry told AFP.
“We are expecting a report on the other two cases in two or three days’ time”, he added.
Nigerian health officials on Monday said they were testing 14 human samples for suspected bird flu. On Tuesday they said they had sent samples to London and Rome for testing.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control (CDC, a US Health Department agency) have received samples from the fatal case and contacts for independent assessment and confirmation,” the statement said.
“The outcome of their investigations will be made available as soon as it is available.”
Health experts worry that human cases of bird flu in Nigeria will be difficult to contain given the poverty in which many Nigerians live and the rampant corruption that makes measures and bans difficult to enforce