Re-emergence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in Nigeria, 2014-2016: Role of Social Network and Value Chain Forces in Interstate Transmission.

Since 2004, high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) due to H5N1 virus among others has caused a major veterinary health crisis, resulting in the loss of millions of poultry through death or culling in several countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America (Alexander 2007; Lee et al. 2016). The first African outbreak was reported from Nigeria in 2006 in domestic poultry (Joannis et al. 2006) and persisted till 2008 (Fusaro et al. 2010). These outbreaks negatively affected animal and public health as well as the economy, and were caused by viruses belonging to genetic clades 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2 and 2.3.2.1c (Aiki-Raji et al. 2008; Fusaro et al. 2010; Monne et al. 2015).