In France, the agriculture ministry reports that the plan to introduce highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccination of poultry is progressing on schedule.
Last week, the minister announced that the country’s agency for food, the environment and occupational health and safety ANSES had published its latest opinion on a national vaccination strategy for the future control of HPAI in poultry.
According to the minister, Marc Fesneau, autumn/fall of this year is the target for the application of vaccination on farms. He also launched the call for tenders for the first orders of vaccines.
In its latest report, ANSES outlines three possible strategies for preventative vaccination. Based on the availability of vaccine, type of farm, and bird species, the agency offers different scenarios to protect the French poultry sector.
Fesneau reported that the results of an experiment involving the vaccination of ducks are expected later this month. He added that the ministry is funding an initial order of 80 million doses of vaccine to ensure that supplies will be sufficient for the vaccination campaign.
The next stage in the action plan is consultation with the commercial poultry sector, the minister said.
Last month, researchers in the Netherlands reported that two vaccines were found to be effective against HPAI in laying hens.
the latest data from the ministry indicate no further cases of HPAI in France, either on commercial poultry farms or in other birds. Across mainland France, the totals remain at 314 and 86, respectively. These apply to the latest HPAI season, which began on August 1, 2022.
Further outbreaks on European poultry farms
So far in 2023, 227 outbreaks have been reported in commercial poultry flocks, according to the the Animal Disease Information System of the European Commission (EC; as of March 31). This is an increase of 13 since the previous update dated March 19.
One or more outbreaks have occurred in 21 countries covered by the EC since the start of the year. This includes Sweden and Switzerland, which registered their first outbreaks of the year in this category in late March.
Based on information supplied to the EC, France still has the highest number of outbreaks at 64 so far in 2023. Next come Poland (58 for the year so far), Hungary (35), the Czech Republic (Czechia; 21), and Germany (19).
Since the EC’s March 19 report, one new outbreak has also been registered by Bulgaria and Italy.
HPAI returns to German state
Earlier this month, the H5N1 serotype of the HPAI virus was detected on a farm in the southwest German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. This was the first detection in this area since June of 2021, according to the official notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Affected was a flock of around 8,900 meat turkeys, 442 of which died. The rest of the flock has been destroyed.
So far this month, the veterinary authority of Hungary has registered with WOAH 20 further outbreaks linked to the same virus. Of these, 16 were in the southern country in the county of Bacs-Kiskun, directly impacting more than 51,000 poultry. Flock sizes are not reported for the remaining four outbreaks in neighboring Csongad-Csanad.
By the end of March, Italy’s HPAI outbreaks in poultry had reached five. Linked to the H5N1 virus variant, the most recent outbreaks were in a backyard flock in the region of Tuscany, and a commercial flock of laying hens in Veneto. Here too, the number of birds impacted is not reported.
In Sweden, the veterinary authority has declared to WOAH that the H5N1 HPAI situation is “resolved.” One outbreak was confirmed on March 20 at a farm in the far south of the country — in Skåne county.
EC does not report on the disease situation in the United Kingdom (U.K.). There, the HPAI risk level in has been reduced from “high” to “medium,” by the agriculture department, Defra. This applies to premises where biosecurity is poor or breaches are substantial. Where biosecurity is maintained at a high level, the risk has been downgraded by Defra to “low.”
Most recent outbreak in the U.K. to have been reported to WOAH was confirmed on March 20. Involved was a small commercial flock in the southwest English county of Devon.
Further outbreaks recorded in captive birds
As of March 31, 11 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 77 across the region for the year so far. This includes Lithuania, reporting its first cases of 2023 in this category.
Affected since the start of January have been 28 premises in Germany, 25 in France, and 10 in Belgium. While the Belgian total has risen by two since the previous update on March 19, and that for Germany by one.
WOAH has also been notified one further outbreak in this category in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
Europe’s wild bird outbreak total this year passes 1,700
So far this year, a total of 1,722 outbreaks of HPAI have already been registered through the EC’s System by 22 European states (as of March 31).
With 480 since the start of January, Germany has confirmed the most outbreaks in this category. France’s total has risen to 288, followed by the Netherlands (179), Italy (152), Belgium (143), Switzerland (119), Austria (107), and Denmark (57). Each of the other countries reporting outbreaks has a total of between one and 42 outbreaks so far this year.
Also confirming new cases of HPAI in wild birds with WOAH over the past 10 days have been the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Russia (Republic of Kalmykia), and the U.K.
In Belgium, two red foxes have tested positive for the H5N1 virus, according to a recent WOAH notification. The animals were found dead at different locations in the second half of March.
For the first time, infected dolphins have been identified in the U.K., reports Defra. The two animals were found in south-west Wales and south-west England. They bring to six the number of wild mammals testing positive for H5 HPAI viruses so far in 2023.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
