Monday, March 11, 2019

Vietnam: H5N6 Infected Ducks In HCMC

Ho Chi Minh City - Credit Wikipedia















#13,926


On the heels of last Friday's report of 2 Outbreaks Of HPAI H5N6 In Quảng Nam Province, multiple Vietnamese media outlets are reporting on the interdiction and destruction of (reports vary) 600-900 H5N6 infected ducks in HCMC, which were being illegally transported to a slaughterhouse.

You'll find an extensive photo essay on the Electronic Newspaper Tien Phong website (see Block 900 ducks bird flu virus H5N6 prior to slaughter), while the following (translated) narrative comes from PLO.vn.


600 ducks smuggled 'sticky' bird flu in HCMC consumption 
Monday, 03/11/2019 - 15:37
(PLO) - 600 ducks were authorities detected "I" on the vans are infected with avian influenza A / H5N6.

11-3 pm, Le Vietnam Bao, Director of Livestock Sub-Department of Animal Health and HCM City, said the department would destroy the entire live ducks infected with avian influenza A / H5N6 in today.

Earlier, on 8-3, the inspection team interdisciplinary disease prevention cattle, poultry HCMC (Group 2) barricades at the Phu My Bridge toll station (District 2, HCMC) found a small truck with a suspicious expression. Group vehicle stop check request and recorded 600 live ducks "I" on the car.


Shippers Vo Thanh Tam's (Hoc Mon district, HCM City) is not the relevant papers. Therefore, all of the ducks were brought to Animal Quarantine Station in Hoc Mon district in captivity temporarily and test samples.


Results showed that 600 ducks were infected with avian influenza A / H5N6. Apart from forced destruction of duck, Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary HCMC decision also fined seven million Tam.

While both China and Vietnam have reported numerous outbreaks of HPAI H5N6 in poultry since the virus emerged in 2014, only China has reported human cases (n=23).

H5N6 causes high mortality in chickens, but it can often be carried with no ill effects by ducks, which can stealthily spread the virus to other birds, and potentially humans.

A little over a year ago, in J. Infect.: Pathogenicity & Transmissibility of 3 Avian H5N6 Viruses Isolated From Wild Birds, we looked at a study that  concluded:
  • Ducks can carry and shed the three H5N6 HPAIVs, but show no ill effects.
  • These H5N6 HPAIVs can efficiently infect, transmit and cause death in chickens.
  • These viruses are highly pathogenic to mice.
  • These viruses may pose a potential threat to poultry industry and public health.
This silent spread in ducks, combined with a robust and often unregulated trade in poultry in Southeast Asia, keeps the (Asian) HPAI H5N6 virus very near the top of our avian flu worry list.