Catalonia Reports H5N8 Outbreak At Duck Farm In Girona

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Earlier this week the autonomous community of Catalonia reported the discovery of  H5N8 in a stork found dead in the Natural Park of the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà, Girona.  Today, their Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries & Food reports the discovery of the H5N8 virus at a duck farm, also in the province of Girona.

This is the first poultry outbreak reported within the borders of Spain. In January two wild ducks were found dead in the lake Las Navas de Fuentes, Palencia, Castile and León.

Confirmed a case of H5N8 avian influenza on a farm type of breeding ducks outdoors of Girona

Thursday, 23 February 2017

 Starts the slaughter of 17,000 ducks operation and activate the measures foreseen in the emergency plan before an avian influenza focus

 

Since the government is acting as quickly as possible to minimize the risks for the sector

 

Avian influenza is a disease that affects birds and such specific virus is transmissible to humans

 

The Central Veterinary Laboratory of Algete in Madrid last night confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza, the H5N8 type, a farm breeding ducks outdoors for fattening the municipality of San Gregory, Gironès. This was announced today the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Meritxell Serret, at a press conference in Barcelona.

 

In this situation, Serret said that the Department has implemented quickly, under the precautionary principle, the measures, according to European directive on emergency plan before an outbreak of avian influenza: signed sacrifice all farm animals, a total of 17,327 ducks and triggered all security measures in the protection zone within a radius of 3 km. In this sense, they fixed the six poultry farms that are in this radius (all Gironès) and veterinary inspections have begun to know what their health status.

 

The fact that the type of virus matches the stork meeting Tuesday and we are in a zone of high migratory birds, and therefore contact with wild birds is the first hypothesis of possible infection. To determine the precise origin will study the Animal Health Research Centre (CRES).

 

Meanwhile, traceability is studying this operation and are applying the highest veterinary controls to prevent and detect other possible sources.

 

In Catalonia Tuesday confirmed an outbreak stork found dead in the Natural Park of Aiguamolls. It was determined a radius of 3 km protection and they immobilize three poultry farms that are in this radius, which is also still being analyzed by veterinarians. Moreover, it has established a ban on hunting wild birds in a radius of 10 km and the levels of surveillance in wild birds through the Corps of Rural Agents.

 

From 28 October 2016 and so far 781 have been reported in Europe focus highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry, captive birds and 38 in 972 wild birds.

 

The H5N8 virus affects only birds and not transmitted to people

 

The Secretary of Public Health, Dr. John Plaster, also present at the press conference, pointed out that we have a virus that does not affect public health, since the H5N8 is not transmissible to humans as secured from different European organizations.

 

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