South Africa confirms detection of second HPAI virus type

While the H5N1 serotype of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus has been circulating in South Africa for some time, the country has recently reported its first cases linked to an H5N2 variant after an 11-year hiatus.

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New Design Illustrations | Bigstock.com

Last month, the nation’s veterinary authority officially confirmed that the H5N2 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus serotype had been detected in South Africa. 

According to the notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the virus-positive result was obtained after 58 of the 200 poultry at a premises died during the month of October. Source of the infection is unknown at the affected farm in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the east of the country. 

This was the first case linked to this virus variant in the country since January of 2011. 

At the time of reporting, 40 of the birds had been culled to prevent further spread of the infection. The premises was placed under quarantine.

Within Sub-Saharan Africa, the only other country to have reported HPAI cases linked to the H5N2 virus variant since 2017 is Nigeria. This is according to the latest update from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO; as of December 14). 

Further H5N1 outbreaks in South African birds

Earlier this month, WOAH received a report confirming two outbreaks in commercial birds linked to the H5N1 HPAI virus. 

At a farm in different district of KwaZulu-Natal, 100 birds of unspecified type died in mid-November. Within days, the same virus was detected after 700 out of 1,640 commercial ostriches died in Free State. This province borders KwaZulu-Natal to the west.

Since March of 2021, around 4.96 million South African poultry and other commercially reared birds have been affected by HPAI outbreaks at 93 locations.

Recent HPAI developments illustrate the need for the nation’s poultry owners to continue to be vigilant for signs of HPAI, according to the South African Poultry Association (SAPA). 

In the latest edition of “Poultry Bulletin,” SAPA reports that a flock of laying hens near Cato Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal was the first since February. For a number of reasons mainly attributed to a shortage of veterinary resources, the cause of morbidity and mortality in the hens was only identified as HPAI after a delay. During that time, the owner sold off some of his birds, and a second outbreak occurred in a nearby flock. That led to the culling of 23,000 broiler breeders. Cato Ridge is an area with a high density of commercial and non-commercial poultry flocks, according to SAPA. 

Furthermore, the H5N1 virus has been detected among the nation’s wild birds. Since May of 2021, there have been more than 22,000 cases at 73 locations, mainly in Western Cape and the city of Cape Town in the west of South Africa.

Latest cases reported to WOAH included 31 cases among 411 jackass penguins in Cape Town in late November. 

More HPAI cases in Algerian poultry flocks

In September, the North African state registered its first cases of HPAI linked to the H5N1 virus variant following an 18-month hiatus. 

Latest notification to WOAH outlines a further three outbreaks in Algeria during November. Affected were two farms where all the poultry had died, and another where mortality reached 20% in the flock comprising 1,000 birds. The infected premises were in different but adjacent provinces in the north-east of the country. 

These bring to four the number of HPAI outbreaks in the current HPAI wave, involving 54,400 poultry, of which 51,900 died. 

Niger poultry test positive for HPAI

In mid-December, the H5N1 HPAI virus was detected in the Republic of Niger. 

According to the WOAH notification, more than 90% of the 4,920 poultry in a village flock have died, and 450 more have been culled. 

The infection affected the locality in Tahoua, a region in the west of the country that borders Nigeria and Mali. It appears to be around 60km from the frontier with Nigeria. The outbreak is blamed on illegal movements of poultry. 

In Niger, the last reported HPAI cases were confirmed in July of 2021. 

Call for support for Nigeria's poultry farmers

In this West African state, around 300 H5N1 HPAI outbreaks have been confirmed to WOAH between December of 2020 and mid-October of this year. More than 2.28 million poultry have been affected by the disease in 28 out of Nigeria’s 37 administrative regions. 

At an event last month, the national poultry farmers’ body called on the federal government to support the sector. The Poultry Association of Nigeria wants financial compensation for farmers who have lost their livelihoods as a result of HPAI, reported Guardian. According to the regional chair of the organization, poultry provide employment for 25 million in the country, particularly for young people with few other job opportunities. 

According to the FAO, HPAI has been reported in only two countries in Sub-Saharan Africa this season. Since October of 2022, cases have been recorded only in South Africa, and in the French overseas territory of La Réunion. In the latter region, two outbreaks were officially registered in October — one in a commercial flock, and one in backyard poultry. No further cases in La Réunion have been reported by the agriculture ministry of France (as of December 23).

View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.

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