To control the spread, the government has stepped up biosecurity requirements for bird owners in the southwest of England. Across the water, there are concerns over high mortality among wild birds in France possibly predicting a third consecutive devastating avian flu season for the nation’s poultry farmers. It is among six nations registering new outbreaks in commercial poultry in recent weeks.
The latest alerts on the future risks of avian flu have been raised by conservationists and poultry farmers in France.
According to Reuters, the alarm follows the mass mortality of seabirds off the French Atlantic coast in recent weeks. It appears that the virus is no longer a threat to bird health in autumn/fall and winter, but it could now pose a year-round risk.
Although the current H5N1 HPAI virus serotype circulating widely in the Northern Hemisphere does not impact human health, it is being detected in other animal species.
Latest to be reported is an infection in a porpoise washed up on a beach in Sweden in July. Tests carried out in Norway confirm that the animal died from the HPAI virus, according to the Swedish Veterinary Institute. Local vets believe this might be the first case of HPAI to be recorded in this species.
Other unusual hosts found to be infected with the currently circulating HPAI virus have been a bottlenose dolphin in Florida, and a black bear in Canada, along with a number of other wild North American animals such as foxes and seals.
More HPAI cases in commercial poultry in 6 European nations
Over the past two weeks, veterinary authorities of six countries in Europe have officially registered new cases of HPAI on poultry farms. Notifications have been sent to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) during this period from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom (U.K.).
With a recent spike in the number of HPAI outbreaks in poultry in the U.K., the agriculture department Defra declared a new Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) at the end of August. This covers the counties of Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Somerset, as well as the Isles of Scilly in southwest England. All owners of poultry, game birds and pet birds in those areas are required to comply with a number of minimum biosecurity measures. Among these are to disinfect equipment, vehicles and footwear to avoid transferring HPAI virus between premises, and minimizing the risk of direct and indirect contact between these birds and wild species.
Since the start of August, 10 outbreaks have been confirmed in poultry in England, bringing the regional total to 120. Of those outbreaks where details of affected flocks are given, three involved commercial flocks, Furthermore, four were in eastern England, in areas not covered by the latest AIPZ.
Since the start of September, three HPAI outbreaks on poultry farms have been confirmed by the Dutch agriculture ministry. Directly affected were a total of 211,000 chickens.
Three more outbreaks have been confirmed in the German state of Lower Saxony, according to WOAH notifications. These involved laying hens, meat turkeys, and broiler breeders — a total of around 191,500 birds.
In France, the number of HPAI outbreaks in commercial flocks since November of 2021 has risen to 1,383. Directly impacted have been more than 15.8 million poultry. The latest cases were in meat ducks in the northwestern region of Brittany, and flock of unspecified type in Auverne-Rhône-Alpes in the southeast of France.
Following a two-month hiatus, HPAI has been detected again in Portugal. First cases were detected in meat ducks in Evora, followed by a similar flock in the neighboring district of Santarem.
Meanwhile, Spain has registered with WOAH the country’s third HPAI outbreak since the start of August — and the first in the western region of Extremadura. Affected were 5,150 meat turkeys, almost all of which died.
Without exception, the virus serotype responsible has been identified as the H5N1 subtype in all these outbreaks.
General HPAI situation in European poultry flocks
As of September 5, 1,812 HPAI outbreaks have been recorded across Europe so far this year. This is based on the latest update of the Animal Disease Information System by the European Commission (EC). The total represents an increase of 14 outbreaks since August 20.
To date, one or more outbreaks have occurred in 20 European countries since the start of 2022. For comparison, this season’s figure has passed the total of 1,756 outbreaks registered with the EC by 24 European states throughout 2021.
This year, France has been the nation reporting the most outbreaks to the EC (1,353). Next come Hungary (205), the Netherlands (52), Germany (44), and Poland (35).
Following a single outbreak in mule ducks in June, Bulgaria’s veterinary authority has declared to WOAH that the HPAI situation in poultry is closed.
More backyard flocks infected with HPAI virus
In its reporting system, the EC now has a separate category for HPAI outbreaks in captive birds. Covering non-commercial poultry flocks, zoos, and similar premises, this year’s total has reached 119 (as of August 20).
At 42, France accounts for the most of these outbreaks, followed by the Netherlands (21), and Slovenia (19).
Over the past two weeks, France has registered cases in three backyards flocks with WOAH, The Netherlands and Portugal each with two, and Germany and the U.K. each with one.
HPAI outbreaks continue in wild birds across Europe
For the year to September 5, a total of 2,479 HPAI outbreaks in wild birds have been reported to the EC. One or more outbreaks have now been confirmed in 30 European states in 2022.
Of the total, almost half (1,127) outbreaks have been reported by Germany, followed by The Netherlands (518). Over the previous two weeks, the totals have increased for Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, and Spain.
For comparison, the EC disease system recorded a total of 2,437 HPAI outbreaks in captive and wild birds in 31 European states in the whole of 2021.
Not covered by the EC system (except for Northern Ireland), the U.K. has registered a further 87 cases of HPAI in wild birds with WOAH.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
