Australia confirms third avian flu virus type in poultry

Australia’s government has confirmed that a third type of the avian influenza virus has been detected in commercial poultry within one month. While the latest is defined as a mild form of the disease, it has brought mortalities to an emu flock. In Russia, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has spread to two new regions, and a further outbreak has been recorded among native chickens in Taiwan.

(sharafmaksumov | Bigstock)
(sharafmaksumov | Bigstock)

As Australia’s veterinary authority confirmed the presence of a third avian influenza virus in poultry, several countries have put restrictions on imports of poultry products from the affected area.

By the end of August, eight countries announced they had halted poultry imports from the state of Victoria, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Without identifying all the destination countries that have introduced such a ban, the national agriculture department has stated it is working to restore trade.

One duck producer in Victoria told ABC its exports of feathers to China had been brought to a halt. Bureau of Customs for the Port of Subic has banned the entry of all live birds, eggs, and poultry products from Australia, reported the Philippine News Agency.

According to federal agriculture minister David Littleproud, the government is sharing the costs of the response to the current avian flu outbreaks. State and territory governments, along with industry associations are also contributing to the reimbursement of certain costs to affected producers, he said.

The president of the Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group told ABC that the loss of a flock is devastating — emotionally and financially – to any farmer.

According to the Victoria state government, H7N7 avian influenza has rarely caused disease in humans who have had close contact with infected poultry. Most people have only mild disease. Human-to-human transmission has been documented mostly in close contacts of confirmed cases. No human cases have ever been reported of avian influenza caused by the H5N2 or H7N6 virus types.

Three viruses detected at six farms so far in Victoria

The first virus to be detected in the state was an HPAI virus of the H7N7 subtype. On July 24, its presence was confirmed on the first of two farms in the area of Lethbridge area, affecting two flocks of free-range hens belonging to Farm Pride Foods Ltd.

In a statement on August 31, the firm’s chairman confirmed that the company operates a dispersed geographical model, and that HPAI had been restricted to two of its farms. Immediate proactive and precautionary steps were taken even before formal virus detection to ensure supply chain integrity, staff safety, and brand reputation. He said that the company was focusing on a recovery program for the affected farms.

According to the latest official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the same virus was detected at a third free-range flock of almost 37,000 birds on August 23. Fifteen of the hens died. The affected premises is located within the Lethbridge restricted area, according to the federal agriculture department.

At the end of August, mild avian flu was confirmed at a commercial farm with around 8,750 emus at Kerang in the same state. Around 2,000 of the younger birds showed clinical signs, and 100 died, according to the OIE report.

Subsequently, the cause was identified as a low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus of the H7N6 type. This variant has not been reported in the country since June of 2013. Source of the current infection is unknown, but may have been through contact with wild birds.

In early August, the H5N2 LPAI virus was detected in two turkey flocks in Victoria — one in Lethbridge and one in Bairnsdale. Based on official reports to the OIE, no new cases involving this virus variant have been found since that time.

In total, these six Australia avian flu outbreaks so far have directly involved almost 457,000 commercial poultry over the past five weeks.

HPAI spreads to two more Russian oblasts

Following a recent declaration to the OIE regarding three HPAI outbreaks in Omsk oblast, Russia’s agriculture ministry has confirmed a further 17 new infections. All resulted in the mortality of some of the birds, and an H5 HPAI virus was present at each location.

Of the new outbreaks, 13 were in Omsk oblast, which is in the Siberian federal district. The others were in neighboring oblasts of Kurgan (3 outbreaks) and Chelyanbinsk (1), which are both in the Urals. All three of these regions border Kazakhstan.

Affected by the latest infections was an Omsk farm with almost 1,558,000 poultry, which recorded 10,300 mortalities. Also affected were 12 backyard flocks with up to 2,000 birds, and four more outbreaks in villages.

According to the agriculture ministry, products from the affected premises have never been commercially traded. Restriction zones were set up, and culling and disposal of the carcasses are on-going, as is an epidemiological investigation.

One new HPAI outbreak in Taiwan

Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture has recorded with the OIE one HPAI outbreak involving the H5N5 virus variant. Affected was a flock of almost 11,000 native chickens at Baozhong, where 240 birds died.

This was the 14th outbreak linked to this virus in Yunlin county so far this year. It brings the total outbreaks to 43 since the emergence of this new strain in the territory one year ago.

View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.

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