Warden Messages

Bird Flu

United States Embassy - Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire

March 3, 2006

Attention all American citizens:

The Nigerian government has reported widespread poultry deaths in the north of the country.  The UN Food and Agriculture Organization confirmed that the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus caused these poultry deaths that occurred in January.  Local authorities have disinfected the areas where the poultry was located, and have introduced quarantine measures and controls to limit the movement of animals.  The Nigerian government has stated that there is no evidence of any human cases of the disease.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working with the Nigerian government to further investigate the outbreak.

 

The U.S. Embassy in Abidjan has not received any reports of avian influenza in Cote d’Ivoire.  As we monitor the situation, we would also appreciate help from you.  If you witness, or receive credible reports of, large-scale bird deaths in Cote d’Ivoire, please contact the U.S. Embassy.  That said, we urge American citizens to avoid poultry farms and poultry markets; and avoid contact with visibly sick or dead birds and raw poultry.  We will send another Warden Message in a few days with guidelines (in English and French) provided by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization relating to the handling and cooking of fowl, poultry, and eggs, as well as basic flu preventative measures.

For information on Avian Influenza and Pandemic Flu preparedness, see www.cdc.gov, www.who.int, and www.pandemicflu.gov.  For additional information on avian influenza as it affects American citizens residing abroad, see the U.S. Department of State’s Avian Influenza Fact Sheet at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1181.html.  

For information on travel in Cote d’Ivoire, see the Department of State's most recent Travel Warning and Consular Information Sheet for Cote d’Ivoire, which are located on the Department's website at http://travel.state.gov.  Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

 

U.S. Embassy in Abidjan is located in the Riviera Golf neighborhood of the Cocody section of Abidjan.  For after-hours emergencies, call (225) 22-49-44-50.