Several cases of H5N1 strain of birdflu have been detected in the West African country of Niger, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday.

OIE chief Bernard Vallat said the strain was the highly pathogenic H5N1, according to tests carried out at an OIE lab in Italy on samples from several dead fowl sent a few days ago.

The outbreak is the second in western Africa following an earlier case in neighboring Nigeria.

Since it was first reported in Asia in 2003, the H5N1 virus has spread to at least 10 European countries as well as the Middle East and Africa. Tens of millions of birds have been culled, and about 90 human deaths have been caused by the disease worldwide.

Experts fear the spread of H5N1 to Africa, unprepared for such a health crisis because of its weak infrastructure, would spell disaster for the continent.