Mexico, Taiwan report new avian flu outbreaks in poultry

Veterinary authorities in Mexico and Taiwan have confirmed new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in their respective commercial poultry sectors, while a low-pathogenic virus has been detected in another French duck flock.

(mashi_naz, Bigstock)
(mashi_naz, Bigstock)

Veterinary authorities in Mexico and Taiwan have confirmed new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in their respective commercial poultry sectors, while a low-pathogenic virus has been detected in another French duck flock.

A further two outbreaks of HPAI caused by the H7N3 virus variant in poultry have been confirmed by Mexico’s agriculture ministry to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), bringing the country’s total to four outbreaks since mid-February of this year.

Suspicious symptoms and high mortality were observed in a flock of 60 fighting birds soon after taking part in a competition in the central state of Guanajuato earlier this month. Thirty-five of the birds died, and the rest were destroyed. Around the same time, the virus was detected in a backyard flock of 2,604 birds kept under organic conditions in the neighboring state of Queretaro. More than half the birds died, and the rest were destroyed. The affected premises is just seven kilometers from one of the previous outbreaks.

Asia: One new HPAI outbreak in Taiwan

Taiwan’s animal health agency has informed the OIE about the detection of the H5N2 HPAI virus in a flock of almost 5,000 meat ducks in Yunlin county earlier this month. All the birds have been destroyed, and surveillance of nearby poultry flocks will be stepped up for the next three months.

In March, two more wild birds found dead in the city of Itami in Japan have tested positive for the H5N6 subtype of the HPAI virus, according to the latest official report to the OIE.

After more than a month without any confirmed HPAI cases in poultry, South Korea has downgraded the national alert level for the disease and lifted a movement ban on poultry. According to the Yonhap news agency, there have been 22 confirmed outbreaks of HPAI since the disease returned to the country in November of 2017, and 6.54 million poultry have been culled in order to bring the disease—linked to the H5N6 virus variant—under control.

Europe: Low-pathogenic virus in French ducks

OIE has been informed by France’s veterinary agency that a flock of 12,240 meat ducks in the south-western department of Lot-et-Garonne has recently tested positive for a low-pathogenic H5N3 virus. Samples were taken of the birds prior to the start of gavage, and after the farm was repopulated following a previous outbreak of the disease.

Four wild birds in Scandinavia have recently tested positive for the H5N6 HPAI virus. According to the official reports to the OIE, all were birds of prey that were either found dead or died soon after being identified as sick. Three of the affected birds were in southern Sweden, and the other was in southwest Finland.

Page 1 of 171
Next Page