#13,538
Although avian flu activity is down pretty much around the world over the past year - this lull comes after an incredibly active 2016/2017 season - particularly in China and in Europe.
Some of this respite is likely due - at least in China - to their nationwide deployment of a newly developed H7+H5 poultry vaccine last summer, while in Europe, the emergence last winter of a less virulent HPAI H5N6 reassortant virus appears to have tempered transmission.
As we've discussed previously, major bird flu seasons are often followed by one or more less severe years (see chart below), and so this relative lull in activity is not unprecedented.
Every 3 months we get an Avian Influenza Overview (see spring 2018 edition) of activity in the EU, and around the world. These reports are lengthy and highly detailed, and often run between 40 to 50 pages.
Below you'll find the abstract, and a couple of snippets from the report, but you'll want to download the full report (Avian influenza overview, May - August 2018 - EN - [PDF-1.81 MB]), as it makes an excellent reference.
Avian influenza overview May – August 2018
European Food Safety Authority,
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and
European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza
Cornelia Adlhoch, Thijs Kuiken, Paolo Mulatti, Krzysztof Smietanka, Christoph Staubach, Irene Muñoz Guajardo, Laura Amato and Francesca Baldinelli
Abstract
Between 16 May and 15 August 2018, three highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N8) outbreaks in poultry establishments and three HPAI A(H5N6) outbreaks in wild birds were reported in Europe. Three low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) outbreaks were reported in three Member States. Few HPAI and LPAI bird cases have been detected in this period of the year, in accordance with the seasonal expected pattern of LPAI and HPAI.
There is no evidence to date that HPAI A(H5N8) and A(H5N6) viruses circulating in Europe have caused any human infections. The risk of zoonotic transmission to the general public in Europe is considered to be very low.
Several HPAI outbreaks in poultry were reported during this period from Russia. The presence of the A(H5N2) and A(H5N8) viruses in parts of Russia connected with fall migration routes of wild birds is of concern for possible introduction and spread with wild birds migrating to the EU. Although few AI outbreaks were observed in Africa, Asia and the Middle East during the reporting period, the probability of AI virus introductions from non-EU countries via wild birds particularly via the north-eastern route from Russia is increasing, as the fall migration of wild birds will start in the coming weeks. Further, the lower temperatures in autumn and winter may facilitate the environmental survival of avian influenza viruses potentially introduced to Europe.
© 2018 European Food Safety Authority, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza(SNIP)
1. Introduction
The present document gives an overview of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks detected in poultry, captive and wild birds and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) outbreaks in poultry and captive birds, as well as human cases due to avian influenza (AI) reported in and outside Europe between 16 May and 15 August 2018.
The background, terms of reference (TORs) and their interpretation are reported in Appendix A; data and methodologies are reported in Appendix B and C.
2. Conclusions
HPAI and LPAI outbreaks in Europe between 16 May and 15 August 2018 (TOR 1 and TOR2)
Main observations
- No human infections with HPAI or related LPAI viruses of the same genetic composition as those currently detected in European domestic and wild birds have been reported so far.
- In the EU, between 16 May and 15 August 2018 (based on the Animal Disease Notification System(ADNS)):
– three HPAI A(H5N8) outbreaks were reported in poultry in Bulgaria;
– three HPAI A(H5N6) outbreaks were reported in wild birds: two in Denmark and one in theUnited Kingdom;
– three LPAI outbreaks were reported in poultry: one A(H5N2) in Denmark, one A(H5Nx) in Sweden and, one A(H7N7) in France.
- Mortality in wild birds from HPAI virus A(H5N6) was reported in Denmark and in the United Kingdom and involved species were listed in the revised list of target species for passive surveillance. The number of cases in the outbreaks, three, was a marked drop compared with the previous three-month period, when 68 cases were reported. This fits with the anticipated seasonal pattern for LPAI and HPAI in free-living wild birds during the summer period.
Conclusions(Continue . . . )
- The risk of zoonotic transmission of AI viruses to the general public in EU/EEA countries is considered to be very low.
- Occurrence of HPAI and LPAI in this time period was very low, which fits with the seasonal pattern of LPAI and HPAI.
