In a joint communication, European Union agencies have warned countries — particularly in the north and east of the continent — about a high risk of HPAI in the coming months. States are urged to step up surveillance and monitoring, as well as to raise biosecurity measures.
The warning follows confirmation of recent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in Russia and Kazakhstan, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
In a joint report with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the EU Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, the authors state that the latest outbreaks in these two countries are a particular concern because of the autumn movements of wild water birds in the current migration season.
Past experiences in 2005-2006 and 2016-2017 indicate that northern and eastern European countries are at a higher risk of the introduction of HPAI when the virus is known to be present early in the migration season.
Between mid-May and mid-August, seven outbreaks of HPAI linked to the H5N8 virus variant were confirmed in Europe, according to the report. Six of these outbreaks were in Hungary, and one in Bulgaria. Genetic analysis of viruses collected from those countries indicated that the virus had not changed substantially since the start of the year. A low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus of the H5N3 subtype was detected in Italy in the same period.
Following publication of the EFSA report, Germany’s animal health institute urged particular vigilance over the coming weeks. As well as raising biosecurity, poultry keepers are urged to look out for dead wild birds.
“Prevention is always better than to have to combat animal diseases later,” said the head of the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute this week.
General avian flu situation in Europe
So far in 2020, a total of 325 outbreaks of HPAI in poultry have been registered with the European Commission through its Animal Disease Notification System as on October 4. Hungary (273 outbreaks) and Poland (32) have been worst affected among EU countries. Additionally, there have been three outbreaks in captive birds, and three more in wild birds. No new cases have been registered since early June.
The same source records a total of four LPAI outbreaks among European poultry so far this year — one in Denmark, and three in Italy. There have been no new cases since mid-June.
Russian outbreak total reaches 50
A further four HPAI outbreaks linked to the H5N8 virus variant have been reported in western Russia by the agriculture ministry. According to its official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), four outbreaks have been confirmed in the period September 23-25.
Affected were a total of 5,222 poultry, all in flocks described as “backyard,” and in flocks of 51-5,000 birds. Three of the outbreaks were in the Urals federal district (in the oblasts of Tuymen and Kurgan), and one was in Omsk oblast (Siberian federal district).
The latest cases bring Russia’s total outbreaks to 50 since the initial infection in Omsk oblast on August 11. With one outbreak involving a farm with almost 1.56 million birds, the total number of affected poultry in Russia is now approaching 1.58 million.
The agriculture ministry has not provided any further updates on an outbreak of HPAI of the H5 subtype that involved a farm in the North Caucasian federal district in mid-September, nor on a series of H5N8 HPAI outbreaks among wild birds in the Urals and Siberia that started at the end of August.
Three more outbreaks in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s agriculture ministry has registered a further three outbreaks of HPAI linked to the H5N8 virus to the OIE. The latest to be affected were backyard flocks of 48-85 birds, one each in the northern regions of Kostanay, Akmola, and Pavlodar. Of the around 190 birds affected, half died and the rest have been destroyed.
Since the first occurrence of HPAI in the country on September 11 this year, the number of outbreaks has risen to 10, directly involving almost 68,000 poultry. All the previous outbreaks were in the North Kazakhstan region, as was the only outbreak so far in birds other than poultry. This involved 88 birds (mainly corvids, as well as two ducks) in the city of Petropavlovsk one month ago.
Vietnam records four new HPAI outbreaks
HPAI of the H5N1 subtype has been detected in village poultry in southern Vietnam. According to the official report to the OIE, 63 of the birds died out of a flock of 241 in Ca Mau. As in two earlier outbreaks, all the affected flocks have been in the Mekong Delta region.
The agriculture ministry has also confirmed to the OIE three new outbreaks of HPAI linked to the H5N6 virus further north in the country. Involving a total of 1,422 poultry, two of these flocks were in Nghe An province (North Central Coast region), and one was in Kon Tum (Central Highlands).
Representing a return of the disease after a brief absence, the previous outbreak was in August in Hai Phong province (Red River Delta region).
Further cases of LPAI in South African ostriches
In early August, an H7 LPAI virus was detected in two more commercial ostrich flocks in the south of the country in Western Cape Province. Twelve birds tested positive for this virus in Kannaland, and nine in Oudtshoorn. There were no clinical signs of disease. With almost 1,400 and 1,300 birds, respectively, these flocks are significantly larger than in previous outbreaks.
These cases bring the total outbreaks linked to this virus in South Africa to five since the virus returned in mid-July after an absence of around 10 months.
LPAI detected in captive birds in Germany
In mid-September, Germany’s veterinary authority reported the detection of H5N8 LPAI virus among captive birds.
According to the European Reference Lab for avian influenza, IZSVe, 19 birds were affected at zoo in Münster, which is in North Rhine-Westphalia. The virus was detected in a single guinea fowl, and the whole group has been destroyed.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
