Togo announces campaign to combat bird flu outbreak

The Togo government said it is taking urgent measures to combat an outbreak of the avian flu virus, the country's state broadcaster said on Saturday.

The announcement came after the virus was detected at two poultry farms in the Togo capital, Lome.

Over 11,300 birds died in the outbreak, with the government incinerating the dead birds and culling others to prevent the spread of the virus. No human cases have been reported.

Agriculture minister Ouro-Koura Agadazi said the government would also destroy eggs and grain in homes, as well as inspect markets.

"In Lome, we have established a mobile team that travels the markets. We will also identify all poultry sellers that do not have the approval of the relevant authorities," Agadazi said.

Since its emergence in 2003, the H5N1 virus has spread around the world and resulted in millions of poultry infections, several hundred human cases and scores of human deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

© 2016 AFP