#12,484
We've a brief announcement from China's Ministry of Agriculture that describes - without specifying pathogenicity - what appears (based on reported bird mortality, not lab confirmation) to be another outbreak of HPAI H7N9 in poultry, the furthest north we've seen to date.
Tianjin Wuqing District occurred in poultry H7N9 flu epidemic has been effectively controlled at present
Date: 2017-05-24 16:38 Source: Veterinary Bureau
May 13, Wuqing District veterinary department found a farm breeding hens appear in the monitoring of suspected bird flu symptoms, the incidence 10000, died 6000. May 20, Tianjin animal disease prevention and control center for the diagnosis of suspected bird flu. May 24, by the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory confirmed the outbreaks as H7N9 flu.
After the outbreak, according to the relevant local prevention plans and technical specifications, adhere to the prevention and control law, science and prevention and control, really good job epidemic disposal, have been culling and safe disposal 93 150 poultry. Currently, the outbreaks has been effectively controlled.
Two weeks ago, in CHINA: HPAI H7N9 Expands Its Range, we looked at the northward expansion of HPAI H7N9 from where it first emerged last January in China's southern Guangdong province - to Hunan, Fujian, Guangxi, and Hebei Provinces.
Last week the FAO Confirmed HPAI H7N9 In Henan Province. We should get another FAO update later today.
Aside from the concern that this HPAI H7N9 virus produces significant morbidity and mortality in poultry, two weeks ago in Eurosurveillance: Biological Characterisation Of (HPAI) A(H7N9) Viruses In Humans, we saw evidence that this HPAI version retains the ability to infect both birds and humans, and in fact, may be slightly more infectious in both than the LPAI version.
This northward expansion of HPAI H7N9 - plausibly by migratory birds - has the attention of both Mongolia and Russia (see China's Nervous Neighbors), and today Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor announced a special meeting was held in Chita, in the Trans-Baikal Territory (bordering Mongolia) to prepare for the `high risk' of avian flu arriving via migratory birds from China.
About holding of the extraordinary meeting of the anti-epizootic commission in the Trans-Baikal Territory
May 24, 2017
May 23, 2017 in the city of Chita, the emergency meeting of anti-epizootic committee chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Trans-Baikal Territory, the Minister of Agriculture of the Trans-Baikal Territory Kuzminova MN, which was attended by the leadership of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Trans-Baikal Territory and the Amur Region .© Central body
Convene an extraordinary commission associated with a high risk of introduction of avian influenza into the territory of Trans-Baikal Territory migratory flow migratory birds from China and Mongolia. Reports on the implementation of preventive measures made by the meeting participants.
According to the results of the committee meeting decided:
- take measures to prevent the occurrence in the territory of Trans-Baikal avian influenza region in accordance with the rules to combat avian influenza, approved by Order of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia on March 27, 2006 number 90, and the Veterinary Regulations poultry on poultry farms closed type, approved by Order of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia from April 3, 2006 № 104;
- take measures to prevent the illegal implementation of live poultry, poultry products in unauthorized places of trade (natural markets, weekend markets, roadside trading facilities) and the strengthening of control over the movement on the territory of Trans-Baikal region of live poultry and poultry products, by means of interregional veterinary approvals;
- to carry out monitoring studies aimed at identifying bird flu, according to the federal and regional epizootic monitoring;
- approved an action plan for the prevention of avian influenza in the territory of Trans-Baikal Territory.
While H7N9 has remained strictly a China problem (plus a handful of exported cases), as the Asian flyway map below shows, what happens in China isn't guaranteed to always stay in China.
While these flyways are predominately north-south corridors, their overlapping allows for a lateral (east-west) movement of avian viruses as well – often via shared nesting areas and ponds.
Which explains how HPAI H5N1, HPAI H5N8, and H5N6 have all managed to expand their geographic range both east and west.
