Cameroon confirms H5N8 bird flu outbreak in the north: OIE

PARIS Cameroon has confirmed a case of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus in the northern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday, citing a report from the Cameroonian livestock ministry.

The virus was found early January in exotic peacocks, in village chickens and in ducks, the ministry said.

The H5N8 strain, which is deadly for poultry but has not been found in humans, has spread across Europe, the Middle East and Africa since late last year, leading to the slaughter of millions of poultry and the confinement of flocks indoors.

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, editing by Gus Trompiz)