Hungary’s poultry sector is bearing the brunt of a rapid spread in the H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.
Over the past two weeks, the country’s agriculture ministry has reported 63 new outbreaks in poultry to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Signs of the disease were observed on 61 farms and in two backyards flocks between April 14 and May 2. The affected premises were not only in the previously affected southern counties of Bacs-Kiskun and Csongrad. The virus has also been detected for the first time in neighboring Bekes, which borders Romania.
Official reports lack some details over the numbers and types of poultry affected, but the 63 latest outbreaks involved at least 539,600 birds.
Since the first cases were confirmed in Hungary at the end of March, there have been at least 243 outbreaks, directly involving almost 2.3 million poultry.
HPAI has been confirmed in poultry in eight European countries so far this year, according to the Animal Disease Notification System of the European Commission (EC).
In its update to May 3, it lists a total of 305 outbreaks in poultry. Of these, 254 have occurred in Hungary, and 32 in Poland. Other countries reporting one or more outbreaks in 2020 are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
There were also three outbreaks in captive birds, and three more in wild birds in Europe, according to the EC.
Taiwan reports more HPAI outbreaks
According to the latest report from the Council of Agriculture, there were four confirmed outbreaks of HPAI linked to the H5N5 virus during the second week of April. According to the OIE report, the infection killed almost 2,000 birds, and a further 11,656 have been destroyed. Three of the affected flocks — two of turkeys and one of laying hens — were in the Tainan city region. Also infected was a turkey flock in Yunlin County.
These bring to 28 Taiwan’s total outbreaks linked to this virus since September of 2019.
In a five-year battle to control the H5N2 HPAI virus, the most recent outbreak in poultry was confirmed in early March.
Denmark, Germany, Dominican Republic, Poland report no new bird flu cases
The Danish veterinary authority has declared to the OIE that the avian flu situation has been “resolved.” Denmark’s only outbreak linked to the low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus of the H5N1 variant was in an organic layer flock in Aalborg in northern Jutland at the end of January this year.
In Germany, enhanced surveillance has revealed no new cases of HPAI linked to the H5N8 virus variant. During March, this virus had been detected at a farm in Lower Saxony, and at a zoo in Saxony.
Dominican Republic's animal health agency first reported the presence of an LPAI virus of the H5N2 group to the OIE in January of 2019. This led to a total of 26 outbreaks between November of 2018, and August of last year.
Latest reports to the OIE from Poland’s agriculture ministry also indicate there have been no new outbreaks of HPAI in poultry or wild birds. The H5N8 HPAI virus was last detected in the western province of Lubusz at the end of March. In Lublin in the south-east of the country, the same virus has not been found on a farm since the end of December 2019, or since the following month in wild birds.
Avian flu situation in the United States
In the U.S., the authorities have released the control area surrounding a commercial turkey farm in Chesterfield County, South Carolina (SC), where HPAI was previously confirmed.
According to USDA-APHIS report to the OIE, sequencing information for all H7N3 viruses in North Carolina (NC) and SC points to a single virus introduction, followed by secondary spread.
Sequencing of the LPAI H7N3 virus in the two states indicates the virus has not previously been detected in poultry. However, it is similar to viruses from North American wild birds circulating from 2016 to 2018.
The same studies confirm that the H7N3 HPAI virus detected in NC and SC is related neither to those of the same family from Mexico, nor to the H7N9 HPAI virus from Anhui, China.
Irish politician calls for compensation for poultry farmers
Earlier this week, a member of the Irish parliament urged the government to offer compensation to poultry producers who have been impacted by avian influenza.
“These are farmers who have suffered devastating losses due to an occurrence that they cannot insure against. In the absence of an insurance scheme, the government needs to provide compensation to those affected,” Matt Carthy,TD, said to Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.
Representing the Sinn Fein party for Cavan Monaghan, Carthy undertook to follow up his request with the minister.
Earlier this month, a mild form of the disease was observed or suspected in poultry on 10 farms in County Monaghan, reported the Irish Farmers Journal. Detection of a low-pathogenic virus of the H6N1 family led these farmers to cull their flocks to prevent further spread of the infection. Affected layers showed a significant drop in egg production, and other signs observed were a reduction in feed intake, and a slight increase in mortality.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
