Bulgaria, Hungary report new cases of avian flu in poultry

After a short absence, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected once more in Bulgarian poultry. There have also been six new outbreaks in Hungary.

(Wabeno, Bigstock)
(Wabeno, Bigstock)

After a short absence, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected once more in Bulgarian poultry. There have also been six new outbreaks in Hungary.

Bulgaria’s veterinary authority has confirmed one new HPAI outbreak at a poultry farm. Affected was a flock of around 28,500 birds of unspecified type around one year old, according to the  Sofia Globe. While the virus subtype is not mentioned in the report, the farm is located in the Asenovgrad region of Plovdiv county in central Bulgaria.

Humane culling of the flock was ordered by the head of the country’s food safety agency, and appropriate zoning and controls in the area. The three-kilometer protection zone covers the town of Asenovgrad and two nearby villages, and the 10-kilometer protection zone covers four additional municipalities. Standard restrictions on the movement of poultry, eggs and other products have been put in place.

Latest outbreak brings Bulgaria’s total this year to nine.

Recent revelations on HPAI in Bulgaria

According to Italy’s health authority and research organization for animal health and food safety (IZSVe), the virus has been partially identified as belonging to the H5 group. Increased mortality was observed in flock on March 6.

On March 9, Bulgaria’s agriculture ministry reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that the HPAI situation had been “resolved.” Between mid-February and mid-March of this year, eight outbreaks were confirmed in poultry. More than 178,600 birds were directly affected through mortality or culling. One outbreak occurred as a farm in Karzali in the south of the country, but the others were confirmed in the central county of Plovdiv.

Earlier investigations revealed that two HPAI virus types have been detected in Bulgaria — H5N8 and H5N2.

Co-infection with both viruses was revealed in the country’s first outbreak, which was in ducks, according to the IZSVe. Subsequently, the H5N8 virus was found to be similar to one circulating in the country in 2018-19. It is this type that has been detected in recent outbreaks involving ducks. The H5N2 virus that has been affecting Bulgaria’s laying hen flocks is the result of re-assortment. It carries some genes from the H5N8 virus, and other from a low-pathogenic avian flu virus originating in Eurasian domestic and wild birds.

Six new outbreaks in Hungary

All of the six latest outbreaks have been on farms in the southern county of Bacs-Kiskun, according to the latest report from to the OIE from the agriculture ministry. Directly affected as a result of mortality or culling were almost 174,000 poultry from flocks ranging in size from around 3,700 to 80,000 birds.

In the period June 3-5, Hungary’s veterinary authority confirmed a further three new secondary outbreaks in Bacs-Kiskun, reports IZSVe.

Since the first outbreak on March 22, Hungary has reported 273 HPAI outbreaks linked to the H5N8 virus, according to IZSVe data. Losses of poultry reported to the OIE run to more than 2.8 million. However as details over flock sizes and types have been incomplete, the total number of lost poultry could be considerably higher.

The great majority of the outbreaks—around 240 of the total—occurred in Bacs-Kiskun. Other outbreaks have been confirmed in the neighboring counties of Csongrad and Bekes. In these two counties, no new cases were recorded over the period May 16 to June 8, according to the latest official reports to the OIE.

Update on the avian flu situation in the U.S.

No new cases of avian flu involving low- or highly pathogenic avian flu viruses have been reported in the U.S. since the end of March.

Passive and active surveillance of poultry flocks is on-going, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

In its latest reports to the OIE, APHIS says the latest environmental samples taken at the premises affected by the H7N3 HPAI virus are negative for the virus. The samples were taken following cleaning and disinfection. As a result of the result, the premises — in Chesterfield County, South Carolina — has been released from quarantine.

This was the only location where the HPAI virus was detected. Around 1,600 of the 34,100 meat turkeys at the farm died in early April as result of the infection.

Of the 11 North Carolina premises where the low-pathogenic H7N3 virus was detected during March, APHIS reports that four have been released from quarantine. This move followed the results of environmental sampling, which were all negative for the virus. Cleaning, disinfection, and sampling are ongoing at the other affected premises in the state.

Previously, the mild form of avian flu had been found at 12 turkey farms— 11 in North Carolina and one in South Carolina—during March of this year.

View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.

Page 1 of 171
Next Page