I got a note from a reader about a Google News report in French--a suspected H5N1 outbreak in Nigeria. But the link to a French source called Waliboo doesn't work, and I can't find anything about it on Waliboo itself. Nor do the major English-language Nigerian media say anything about it. If anyone runs across the story, please let me know.
Update: The tireless Dutchy tracked down the story and sent me a computer translation. Excerpt, slightly edited:
Bird flu hits Nigeria. Sub-Saharan Africa is now affected by the epidemic. This phenomenon is most disturbing according to specialists.The strain of bird flu diagnosed in Nigeria is particularly pathogenic. This is the H5N1 strain, clade 2, EMA3. Faced with this situation, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has not failed to show its concern.
According to this organization, it is highly unlikely that the contamination was due to wild birds. Indeed, we must consider other channels of infection. These could include, inter alia, international trade and transactions illegal or unreported birds of different species.
Today, avian flu is present in 27 states of the Nigerian Federation. In June and July 2008, four new cases were reported in the northern part of the country. Although the risk to humans is limited, rules must be respected by the local population but also and especially by foreigners who are visiting the country. Specifically, it is preferable to avoid contact with live birds.
As Dutchy said in his email to me, "Seems to be a summary of the situation, no new 'hard' news. In the meantime it seems another confirmation: H5N1 is endemic in Nigeria."
Here's the URL for this story. As Dutchy says, it takes a long time to open.
