A strain of H5N5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus has been detected in poultry in Taiwan for the first time, while more than 91,000 birds have been lost through mortality or culling after the presence of the H5N2 virus subtype was confirmed.
Veterinary authorities discovered the H5N5 HPAI virus during surveillance of poultry flocks for seasonal diseases, reports Taiwan News. The affected flock — of 3,583 mule ducks in the Cishan district of Kaohsiung city — had shown no symptoms of the disease, but have been culled. This was the first reported case of HPAI linked to this virus variant in Taiwan.
Subsequently, five other duck farms in the area were inspected, but no further cases were revealed.
Source of the infection in Taiwan is unknown. China reported some cases in 2008, and this virus variant has been detected occasionally in wild birds in Europe in recent years, according to the head of the Animal Health Research Institute.
Taiwan could regain its H5N5-free status if no new cases are detected in the next three months, providing surveillance and preventative measures are carried out, the Council of Agriculture’s deputy minister told Focus Taiwan.
H5N2 HPAI virus detected at 10 locations in Taiwan
The H5N2 virus variant — which has affected the poultry sector in Taiwan for more than 4 years — has been found at 10 locations between August 23 and September 13, according to official reports from the Council of Agriculture to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Affected were 6 farms with meat ducks, where the virus was detected following routine surveillance sampling. Native chickens at two farms were found to be infected after a number of the birds died, and the remaining outbreaks were picked up after suspicious signs were observed in native chickens delivered to slaughterhouses.
Six of the latest outbreaks were in Yunlin, bringing the county’s total so far this year to 37. Taipei city recorded its 15th outbreak — one ahead of Changhua County — and Pingtung’s 2019 total now stands at 5.
Based on reports to the OIE, these latest H5N2 HPAI outbreaks led to the direct loss of more than 91,600 poultry, including more than 4,500 mortalities, and the remaining birds were culled to halt the further spread of the infection.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
