Despite the change in season that usually heralds an easing of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) situation, new cases in poultry and wild birds continue to be reported in Europe. While the disease risk has been downgraded to the lowest level in France, the Netherlands reports its first outbreak for several months. Other countries in the region registering new outbreaks in poultry are the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, and Romania. Over the past two weeks, additional cases in wild or captive birds have been officially recorded in seven countries.
In France, the danger to HPAI risk across the whole of the country has been declared as “negligible.”
According to the French agriculture ministry, the threat of infection is now so low that health security measures — including the housing of commercial poultry — was lifted at the end of last week. The most recent confirmed outbreak was on May 3. Almost all protection and surveillance zones have been lifted. However, all poultry owners — of commercial and hobby flocks — are being urged to monitor the health of their birds, as well as to maintain high levels of biosecurity. Even in the south-west of the country, which was hardest hit by the 2020-2021 wave of HPAI outbreaks, restrictions are greatly eased on the poultry sector. This means that farmers are now again allowed to move ducks and geese, as well as chickens, guinea fowl, and quails.
Starting in November of 2020, there were 492 confirmed HPAI outbreaks in France. Of this total, 475 outbreaks were in the south-west of the country, with the department of Landes accounting for 341 known infections. The disease affected flocks in 14 other departments, and wild birds tested positive for HPAI virus at 21 locations.
According to information supplied to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), France lost almost 2.425 million poultry through mortality and culling as a result of the H5N8 HPAI virus since mid-November. A further 19,600 birds died or were killed following detection of a low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus of the H5N3 group since January of this year.
In May, the French agriculture minister announced that a roadmap was under discussion to ensure the country is better prepared for the next threat of avian flu.
HPAI outbreaks in European poultry reach 1,151
Up to May 23, 1,151 outbreaks of HPAI have been confirmed among European poultry flocks so far this year. This is an increase of 55 from the previous report to May 8, according to the Animal Disease Information System of the European Commission (EC).
Of the 18 states registering outbreaks through this system, worst affected is France with 473 outbreaks. This figure has been unchanged since the end of April. Poland’s total stood at 327, and Germany’s at 207. So far this year, Lithuania has reported 38 outbreaks in poultry, followed by the Czech Republic at 37. Other countries have notified the EC of more than 15 outbreaks.
During the whole of 2020, 16 European states reported a total of 442 HPAI outbreaks in poultry to the EC system.
Reemergence of HPAI at Dutch poultry farm
In the Netherlands, an outbreak of HPAI has been confirmed in the province of Limburg, according to the agriculture ministry. An H5 avian flu virus thought to be highly pathogenic was detected at a turkey farm near Weerd in the southeastern province of Limburg. Around 13,000 birds from the infected farm were culled, as were a nearby flock of around 66,000 laying hens. Within a three-kilometer radius of the primary outbreak were seven more poultry farms, where testing was carried out. Around 130 more farms within 10 kilometers of the infected premises were subject to a ban on the transport of poultry, eggs, manure, and used bedding materials.
According to the official report to the OIE, the virus was confirmed as belonging to the H5N8 HPAI “family.” Furthermore, poultry at six of the nearby farms showed no signs of HPAI, and tested negative for the virus.
Until this latest outbreak, the most recent Dutch cases of HPAI in poultry were at a farm in the neighboring province of North Brabant in mid-February.
Poland’s poultry losses approach 4 million
The most recent information from Poland’s chief veterinary office puts the country’s total HPAI outbreaks so far this year at 333, directly involving more than 3.92 million poultry. At each location, presence of the H5N8 virus variant has been confirmed.
The Polish total includes 21 recent outbreaks that were confirmed in the period May 13-24. Occurring in flocks in four provinces, these directly impacted more than 666,500 birds. Fourteen of the flocks comprised only or included meat turkeys, while others were meat geese or broilers, and there were two non-commercial flocks.
Four other European countries register new cases of HPAI in poultry
For the first time, HPAI virus of the H5N8 subtype has been detected at a farm in Lithuania. According to the latest report to the OIE, the national veterinary agency, birds at a poultry trader’s premises in the western county of Taurages tested positive for this virus last week. Around 80 of the 1,238 birds of various species died, and the rest have been destroyed. Authorities were alerted to the possibility of HPAI when birds died at two of the trader’s customers.
HPAI linked to the H5N8 virus in Lithuania’s commercial sector was thought to have been resolved in January of this year. However, the virus was detected in 10 backyard hobby flocks in five other counties during the month of May, according to OIE reports.
The north German city state of Bremen has registered its first cases of HPAI. A backyard flock has tested positive for the H5N8 virus variant.
Over the past two weeks, authorities in Germany have also retrospectively registered with the OIE H5N8 HPAI outbreaks in the states of Baden-Wurttemberg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, and Schleswig-Holstein. These originated between December of last year and the end of March.
Also recently registering with the OIE new cases with the same virus subtype were the Czech Republic (two backyard flocks) and Romania (one).
Avian flu resolved in poultry in four European states
Over the past two weeks, animal health agencies of four countries in Europe have declared to the OIE that the avian flu situation of the past winter has been “resolved.”
Ukraine’s authority reports that it is now avian flu-free. Earlier this year, the H5N8 virus had been detected in flocks in Kiev and Donetsk, and an H5 HPAI virus in Kherson and Mykolaiv. Between December 2020 and March this year, 14 outbreaks were officially registered in these Ukrainian oblasts.
For Croatia, this declaration of the resolution of HPAI followed just one outbreak linked to the H5N8 virus variant during November of last year. Meanwhile, Italy registered its most recent outbreak of three linked to the same virus family in February.
The H5N1 HPAI virus was detected at just one farm in Hungary in April, following previous cases during March of this year. However, as there have been no further cases, the veterinary authority has officially declared the situation “resolved.”
HPAI situation in Europe’s wild and captive birds
The number of confirmed outbreaks of HPAI among wild birds in Europe now stands at 1,545. This is the total for the year to May 23, according to the EC’s animal disease information system. Compared to the previous edition from May 8, this represents an increase of 99.
Recording by far the most cases so far has been Germany, with a total of 834 outbreaks — 72 more than two weeks previously.
Also registering additional cases over this period were Denmark (now with a total of 240 outbreaks), Sweden (81), the Netherlands (38), Estonia (28), Lithuania (23), and Finland (17).
Over the past two weeks, OIE has been informed about new outbreaks of HPAI in wild or captive birds in seven European countries.
Among the significant developments were the first detections of the H5N1 virus subtype in Finland, and in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. Also in Germany, there were first cases linked to the H5N8 variant in Saxony Anhalt, and the H5N4 virus in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.
Finally, after a period free of new detections, the HPAI situation among Austria’s wild bird population is also reported to the OIE as “resolved.”
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
