Europe: 8 states record new avian flu cases on poultry farms

While new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in European poultry across Europe continues to decline, further cases continue to be reported across the region.

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New Design Illustrations | Bigstock.com

Although the current highly pathogeniic avian influenza (HPAI) season is by no means over, there are early signs of a decline in the reporting of new outbreaks in Europe.

So far in 2023, 141 outbreaks have been reported in commercial poultry flocks. This is based on the latest update of the Animal Disease Information System by the European Commission (EC; as of February 12). 

One or more outbreaks have occurred in 15 countries covered by the EC since the start of the year. Spain has registered its first cases of the year in this category. Luxembourg’s recently reported outbreak in commercial poultry appears to have been reclassified as afflicting captive birds. 

Based on information from the EC, Poland (46 outbreaks so far this year) has overtaken France (45) as having the most confirmed cases in this category. These represent increases of six and five outbreaks, respectively, since the EC’s previous update dated February 5. 

These two nations are followed by the Czech Republic with 15 outbreaks since the start of 2023, and Germany with 10. Each of the other countries has a total so far of no more than four outbreaks. 

France reports HPAI hot spot in Brittany

Across Europe — as elsewhere in the world — H5N1 continues to be the dominant HPAI virus serotype detected in poultry, as well as captive and wild birds.

Latest official notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) from France covers a further five outbreaks linked to this virus variant. Involving a total of 34,100 commercial poultry, the outbreaks began in the period February 4-7. All were at premises in four different towns in Côtes d’Armor — a department in the northwestern region of Brittany. 

Since the nation’s first outbreak linked to this virus serotype in November of 2021, 1,669 outbreaks on farms have been reported to WOAH. These directly impacted more than 19.85 million birds through mortality and culling.

Since the start of the current HPAI “season” in August of last year, 298 outbreaks have been recorded on mainland France by the agriculture ministry (as of February 16). All eight of the most recent outbreaks occurred in Côtes d’Armor. 

New cases in poultry elsewhere in Western Europe

In early February, the H5N1 HPAI virus was detected for the first time in Spain’s commercial poultry since December of 2022. According to the latest WOAH report, it was the cause of death of 1,200 out of 9,000 meat turkeys at a farm in the northeastern region of Catalonia. 

At the end of January, HPAI was confirmed in a flock of around 32,000 broiler breeders in Fife in eastern Scotland. 

In addition, the United Kingdom (U.K.) government agriculture department, Defra reports two further farm outbreaks involving the H5N1 virus serotype in poultry — one in Stirling in Scotland, and one in Newtown in Wales. 

As of February 19, total outbreaks among commercial and hobby poultry in the U.K. since October of 2022 stands at 172. It comprises 145 infections in England, 21 in Scotland, five in Wales, and one in Northern Ireland.

To WOAH, German authorities have declared the HPAI situation resolved in Saxony. This followed a single outbreak on a small farm in this eastern state in early December. 

Nationwide, 13 outbreaks in commercial poultry have occurred over the previous 28 days, according to Germany’s veterinary reference laboratory, Friedrich-Loeffler Institute (FLI; as of February  16). Since the start of this month, the same source records nine cases of domestic poultry that have tested positive for HPAI virus. These include chickens, turkeys, ducks and/or geese in Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. 

HPAI 'resolved' in Denmark, Italy, Isle of Man

A recent series of three HPAI outbreaks in Denmark has been closed by the national veterinary agency. These involved a total of almost 104,600 poultry in different municipalities between December 21 last year, and January 16, according to WOAH reports.

Notifying the agency about two further farm outbreaks, Italy’s animal health body has also declared HPAI “resolved” in the nation’s commercial poultry. 

Latest outbreaks reported date back to December, when the H5N1 virus was detected at two farms with meat turkeys. The first was in the Lombardy region, and the second in Veneto. 

Overall, the Italian outbreak series involved more than 995,000 poultry at 30 premises between September and December of last year. 

Earlier this month, U.K. authorities declared to WOAH that the HPAI situation is “resolved” on the Isle of Man. On this Crown dependency in the Irish Sea, there have been no further cases since poultry at one small farm tested positive for the H5N1 virus in December last year. 

Disease situation in Central European poultry flocks

So far this year, HPAI has been confirmed in 52 poultry flocks in Poland, according to the nation’s chief veterinary office. Directly impacted have been more than 1.01 million birds.

Starting in the period February 7-13 were the 11 most recent outbreaks. Occurring in four provinces (Lubusz, Warmia-Masuria, Lodz, and West Pomerania), they affected six farms with meat turkeys, three with meat ducks, and two backyard flocks. 

Latest outbreaks to be reported to WOAH by Hungary began in the first week of February. Involved were a small farm in the south of the country, and around 23,800 poultry on a farm in the east. 

Over the past 10 days, Bulgaria’s animal health agency has declared to WOAH that the HPAI situation in its poultry flocks has been “resolved.” The declaration followed a single outbreak linked to an unidentified virus serotype in the southern province of Haskovo in October last, and another with the H5N1 variant near Sofia during January. Affected were 19,000 laying hens and 26,000 quail, respectively. 

New outbreaks recorded in captive birds

As of February 12, 10 European nations have notified the EC’s System of HPAI cases in “captive birds” since the start of 2022. Covering backyard and hobby poultry flocks as well as premises such as zoos, the total stands at 48 across the region for the year so far.

First cases of the year in this category are reported in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Slovenia. 

Affected since the start of January have been 18 premises in both France and Germany, as well as four in Austria. The remaining countries have each recorded just one or two outbreaks.

Disease outbreaks in Russia are not monitored by the EC System. However, WOAH has been notified of new cases in a backyard flock in Belgorod at the end of January. Source of the infection is unknown, according to the Russian veterinary agency. In this region of the Central federal district, the previous HPAI outbreak series ended in October of last year. 

To WOAH, the U.K. has reported one further outbreak in a non-commercial poultry flock in Wales.

In recent days, HPAI has been confirmed in two more backyard flocks, according to the Czech Republic’s state veterinary service. Affected were around 130 birds in the same village in the central southern region of Vysocina.

In Poland, two of the latest outbreaks recorded by the chief veterinary office were in non-commercial flocks.

Also reporting new cases has been the agriculture ministry in the Netherlands, Around one week ago, the H5N1 virus was detected in a small-scale chicken farm with around 70 birds at Rozenburg in South Holland. There are no commercial poultry farms within 10km of this outbreak. 

Europe’s wild bird outbreaks approach 600

So far this year, a total of 584 outbreaks of HPAI have already been registered through the EC’s System by 21 European states (as of February 12). 

With 145 outbreaks in this category, Germany has confirmed the most outbreaks, followed by Belgium (90), France (80), Austria (70), Denmark (36), and the Netherlands (35).

Since the EC’s previous update dated February 5, also reporting new cases in wild birds to the EC have been the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Northern Ireland, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland. 

Furthermore, new cases have been reported to WOAH by the U.K., and by the Russian authorities in the Republic of Dagestan (North Caucasus federal district).

Meanwhile, the Italian authorities have declared to WOAH that the HPAI situation on Sardinia has been “resolved.” On the island, two wild birds tested positive for the H5N1 late last year.

Following recent announcements that the H5N1 HPAI virus has been detected in unusual host species such as foxes and otters in the U.K., latest updates from Defra include four cases in seals. They were found at different locations in Scotland in 2021 and 2022. 

View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.

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