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Because of its low pathogenicity to humans, we regard H5N2 avian influenza as far being less serious than the H5N1 strain. Reports of Human infections with H5N1 H5N2 have been exceedingly rare and either extremely mild or asymptomatic.
For poultry producers, however, H5N2 can be a costly infection. Over the past three decades, H5N2 has been responsible for the deaths or destruction of millions of domesticated birds.
H5N2 can appear as either a LPAI (Low pathogenic avian influenza) which produces little effect on poultry, or as an HPAI which causes significant mortality and morbidity of the flock.
LPAI H5N2, over time and in high density factor farming environments, is believed capable of evolving into HPAI. Hence even LPAI H5N2 is a reportable disease to the OIE.
In December of 2008, after what appears to have been a delay of up to 2 months, officials acknowledged an outbreak of H5N2 at a poultry farm in southern Taiwan.
Seven thousand chickens died of bird flu
By Zhao Chunzhe (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-01-22 16:24About 7,000 chickens died of H5N2 bird flu on a chicken farm of Changhua County, Taiwan, chinataiwan.org reported today.
There are some 50,000 chickens on this farm, and the death rate this month is 10 times higher than the average. But no sick chickens were reportedly sold on the market, the report said.
"The bird flu epidemic in the farm has been under control. All staff and animals have been isolated but we are not going to kill all chickens in the farm," said Chou-Che Kuo, head of the prevention unit of Changhua county.
