#14,609
While HPAI reports from Europe have been greatly subdued for more than a year, today we are getting reports of an outbreak of HPAI H5N8 `Ptasia grypa' (bird flu) at at least one (possibly more) turkey farms in eastern Poland.
We've a very brief (translated) statement posted on the Lubartów County government website, followed by a couple of local media reports.
CAUTION BIRD
In connection with the occurrence of the case of bird flu in the Lubartowski Poviat in the Uścimów District, a meeting of the Poviat Crisis Management Team was convened by the Staroste of Lubartowski on 31 December at the Poviat Starosty in Lubartów. A similar meeting was also organized by the Lublin Voivode.
Veterinary services are implementing virus eradication procedures in this situation. All services, inspections and guards in cooperation with veterinary medicine have taken steps to prevent its further spread. Please take special care and safety precautions because it is a subtype of highly pathogenic H5N8 influenza that can also threaten people. Detailed information is currently provided only by the Chief Veterinary Officer.
While it is true that HPAI H5N8 s related to several HPAI H5 viruses (H5N1, H5N6) that have caused serious illness and/or death in humans, this subtype has not (as yet) been linked to human infection.
That could change, since the virus is always mutating (see J. Virulence Editorial: HPAI H5N8 - Should We Be Worried?, and so a degree of caution is always warranted. This is the first HPAI H5N8 outbreak reported in Poland since the spring of 2017.A few more details are available from local media coverage.
Avian flu in the Lublin region. "You will have to kill up to 40,000 poultry"
According to the reporter of Polsat News, the bird flu virus could not get worse. Stary Uścimów in the Lubartów poviat is a poultry basin in the Lublin region. It is estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 will have to be killed. pieces of poultry. As yet, it is not known where the virus came from in this area.
The virus attacked birds from two farms in Stary Uścimów. On Tuesday around noon it was confirmed that the animal disease is avian influenza. A crisis staff was convened at the Poviat Starosty in Lubartów and the Provincial Office.
Please take special care and safety rules, because it is a subtype of highly pathogenic H5N8 influenza, which can also threaten people. Detailed information is currently provided only by the Chief Veterinary Officer" - we read in a communication issued by the Lubartowski Poviat.
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Bird flu. An outbreak has been detected that is dangerous to humans
A dangerous situation occurs in the Lubelskie Voivodeship. The infection was most likely caused by migrating wild birds.
"Starosta Lubartowski convened a meeting of the Poviat Crisis Management Team" - it was announced on the portal of the Lubartowski poviat. Turkeys probably became infected with the virus from birds in the village of Stary Uścimów.
Veterinary services are already implementing virus control procedures in this situation. Actions have also been taken to prevent its further spread.
(Continue . . . )
