Watt Ag Net Over the coming months, migration of wild birds infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus raises the risk of a further surge of outbreaks in European poultry.
In a recent review, European health authorities conclude that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) situation continues to evolve — not only in Europe but globally. New cases continue to be reported in birds, both wild and domestic, as well as in mammals. This is according to the latest update is from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the EU reference laboratory.
In poultry, the peak for infections in the current season was in November of last year. For the study period of December 2022 to March of 2023, the number of new outbreaks in poultry has declined, according to EFSA and the other agencies.
However, the report’s authors warn that a resurgence in outbreaks affecting poultry might be seen in the coming months. This is because of the spring migrations of wild birds — and especially of gulls, which have been particularly affected by the circulating HPAI virus. These birds could carry the infection as they move to inland areas where poultry production is more concentrated.
Ongoing studies of genetic changes in virus indicate a growing risk of transmission to mammals. Furthermore, there are documented cases of infections in people, mainly following close contact with infected poultry. Nevertheless, ECDC assesses the current risk of infections to be low for the general public.
In Europe, 522 outbreaks of HPAI were reported in domestic poultry and 1,138 in wild birds during the study period, according to EFSA. Occurring in 24 countries across the continent, these were all linked to the HPAI A(H5N1) virus of the clade 2.3.4.4b.
2023 HPAI outbreak total in commercial poultry nears 200
So far in 2023, 194 outbreaks have been reported in commercial poultry flocks across Europe. This is based on the latest update of the EC’s Animal Disease Information System of the European Commission (EC; as of March 3).
One or more outbreaks have occurred in 16 countries covered by the EC since the start of the year. These include Estonia and Slovenia, where first outbreaks of the year were confirmed around the start of this month.
Based on information supplied to the EC, France has the highest number of outbreaks (62 so far this year), followed by Poland (56). These represent increases of three and one to the respective totals since the EC’s previous update dated February 25.
These two nations are followed by the Czech Republic with 20 outbreaks since the start of 2023, Hungary with 18, and Germany with 15. Each of the other countries has a total so far of no more than four outbreaks.
Five European nations register new cases on farms
Since the start of March, Hungary’s animal health agency has officially registered 17 HPAI outbreaks on poultry farms. According to recent notifications to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), 14 of these were in Bacs-Kiskun, and three in Bekes. Both located in southern Hungary, these counties have been the location of 98 and five outbreaks, respectively, since November of 2022.
Over the period February 22 to March 1, the French authorities have notified WOAH of a further four outbreaks on commercial farms. Each with between 120 and around 23,400 birds, the affected premises were all in different departments and regions of the country. Among those affected was the first in Eure, a department in the northwestern region of Normandy.
Since the first cases of HPAI linked to the H5N1 virus serotype were detected in France in November of 2021, 1,687 outbreaks have been reported to WOAH. Directly impacted through mortality or culling have been more than 20.75 million commercial poultry.
According to the agriculture ministry, 313 farm outbreaks have been confirmed on mainland France since August 1 last year. Affected have been flocks in all 12 regions, and in 31 departments.
So far this month, Germany has registered two further HPAI outbreaks on poultry farms with WOAH. While one was in the southeastern state of Bavaria, the other was in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania in the northeast of the country.
There has been one further outbreak on a farm in northwest England. This brings to 175 the number of confirmed outbreaks on commercial premises in the United Kingdom (U.K.) since October of 2022. This is according to the latest update by the government agriculture department, Defra.
Italy has recorded its first HPAI outbreak in poultry since the start of this year.
Based on the WOAH notification, affected was a flock of meat turkeys in the northern region of Veneto. Around 50 birds showed symptoms but the size of the flock is not reported. Source of the virus — also the H5N1 serotype — is unknown.