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| Guizhou Province - Credit Wikipedia |
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China's aggressive use of a new H5+H7 poultry vaccine (see 2017's China MOA Orders HPAI H7N9 Vaccine Deployed) has led to a remarkable drop in poultry outbreaks over the past year (see CIDRAP News' Study: Bivalent avian flu vaccine tied to less H7N9 in Chinese poultry), although occasional outbreaks of both H5N6 and H7N9 have been reported.
Human infections have been drastically reduced as well, although not entirely eliminated. A little over a month ago, in China: Guangxi Province Reports Their 3rd Human H5N6 Infection, we saw China's 2nd reported H5N6 case of 2018.
Today, from the same province (Guizhou), China's MOA is reporting on an outbreak of H5N6 at a poultry farm located some 350 km to the NW of the human case reported in Laibin last August.
So far, I've found no reports of any human cases linked to this outbreak.
(translation)
A highly pathogenic avian influenza epidemic of poultry H5N6 subtype occurred in Huishui County, Guizhou Province
Date: 2018-09-29 16:38 Author: Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Press Office
The Information Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs was released on September 29, and a high-pathogenic avian influenza epidemic of poultry H5N6 subtype occurred in Huishui County, Guizhou Province, Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.
On September 7, some poultry raised in Huishui County died of unexplained death. As of September 16, there were 11,055 poultry, 5,297 poultry, and 4,948 dead poultry. On September 16, Guizhou Provincial Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center diagnosed a suspected bird flu epidemic. On September 29, the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory confirmed that the epidemic was a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak of H5N6 subtype.
After the outbreak, the local authorities adhered to the relevant laws and regulations on prevention and control, adhered to the law prevention and control, scientific prevention and control, and effectively handled the epidemic situation. They have culled 32,351 poultry, and all the sick and culled poultry have been treated harmlessly. At present, the epidemic has been effectively controlled.
Despite the initial success of China's bivalent poultry vaccine rollout, avian influenza viruses continue to circulate and evolve in both poultry and in wild birds, and some may eventually drift far enough away from the vaccine strain that they are able to stage a comeback.
And when one set of viruses are well suppressed by a vaccine, it may provide an opportunity for other subtypes to emerge, such as the H10N8, H7N4, or H6N1 viruses we've on rare occasions in recent years.All reasons why, despite the recent respite in bird flu in China, we continue to watch the region with considerable interest.
