The countries urgently need international assistance to build up basic surveillance and control systems.

The close proximity between people and animals and insufficient surveillance and disease control capability in eastern African countries create an ideal breeding ground for the virus,

The situation is very worrying... If you respond in two or three days that's different but if a week passes, that's another thing.

If a poultry epidemic should develop beyond the boundaries of Nigeria the effects would be disastrous for the livelihoods and the food security of millions of people.

The need to keep domestic birds away from wild birds has been widely recognized and efforts to do so have been implemented in many countries.

Given that it is a highly contagious disease, we were sure it could spread from one region to another, either through wildlife or through trade and movements of products. So this happened and we are not surprised at all.