Veterinary authorities in China, Mexico and South Africa have reported new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry over the past week. Concerned over the development of the disease in the country, the Mexican government has eased restrictions on the import of chicken meat to prevent future shortages.
In Mexico, the number of reported avian influenza outbreaks linked to the H7N3 virus variant since March of this year has risen to 15, with almost 279,000 poultry directly affected by the disease.
Over the last week, the national animal health agency, Senasica, has informed the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about a further four HPAI outbreaks during the month of May, involving almost 135,000 poultry.
Two of the latest outbreaks were on commercial farms. The presence of the virus was confirmed after 150 laying hens of a flock of 3,000 birds died in the state of Hidalgo, and surveillance revealed the virus in another flock of more than 133,000 in Queretaro.
The same virus was detected in two backyard flocks, one in each of the states of Guerrero and Queretaro.
HPAI outbreaks and the associated loss of production have led the government of Mexico to raise the tariff-free import quota by 55,000 tons, reports Mercopress. The additional quota will avoid a shortage, according to an official government announcement, and will include the products most popular with Mexican consumers — fresh, chilled, and frozen chicken legs and thighs.
The U.S. has been the main poultry meat supplier in the past, but imports from several counties have been banned by the Mexican authorities because of reported outbreaks of Newcastle disease.
Avian flu returns to western China
After an absence of more than two years, the H5N6 subtype of the HPAI virus has been detected in a flock of poultry in Xinjiang province. In its official report to the OIE, China’s agriculture ministry records that more than 1,000 birds died of a “backyard” flock of almost 12,000 in the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, which borders Kazakhstan. The rest of the flock has been destroyed.
HPAI detected again in South African ostriches
In mid-April, the H5N8 variant of the HPAI was detected in 22 birds out of a flock of 709 commercial ostriches in Eastern Cape Province. According to the agriculture department report to the OIE, this brought the country’s total outbreaks in the sector over the last two years to 205. The previous most recent outbreak was in Free State in February of this year.
Bhutan declares freedom from HPAI
The agriculture ministry in the South Asian kingdom has reported to the OIE that an earlier HPAI situation has been “resolved.” The declaration follows a single outbreak in April at a town on the border with India, which led to the destruction of two poultry flocks in Bhutan.
Avian flu vaccine shortage in Dominican Republic
Bureaucratic obstacles at the agriculture ministry have caused delays in the import of avian flu vaccines, according to Manuel Escaño, president of the egg producers’ association. Agriculture minister Osmar Benitez announced last week that he would accelerate and ease the procedure, reports Hoy, so that applicants receive the required import permits more quickly.
At the beginning of this year, a low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus was detected at several locations in the Dominican Republic, involving more than 178,000 poultry from backyards, family farms, and commercial units.
Scientists in Scotland have recently reported a study that indicates gene editing has the potential to control avian influenza in chickens in the future.
