#14,654
Romania today becomes the 4th European nation to announce an avian flu outbreak in the past couple of weeks, following at least 10 outbreaks in Poland, and more recent outbreaks in Slovakia, and Hungary.
Unlike the first 3 countries that reported HPAI H5N8, the subtype of the Romanian outbreak has yet to be announced, but it is likely H5N8 as well.As with Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, this is the first outbreak of HPAI in Romania since the spring of 2017 (see OIE final Report). ANSVSA, Romania's National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority published the following (translated) announcement in the past couple of hours.
Diagnosis of bird flu in a commercial type farm in Maramureș county
Posted on 14/01/2020 by Comunicare ANSVSA
14.01.2020
Diagnosis of bird flu in a commercial type farm in Maramureș county
Based on Law no. 1/2008, of the GD no.1189 / 2009 and according to the request of ANSVSA, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was convened the meeting of the National Center for Disease Control, in videoconference with the Prefectures of Maramureș and the neighboring counties.
t was considered the management of the situation caused by the diagnosis, in a commercial operation of laying hens in the county of Maramures, of the bird flu, a disease that evolves at this time in several European countries.
In order to isolate the outbreak, specific measures will be applied, which will be managed by the Local Centers for Disease Control in Maramures County and neighboring counties.
At this time, the situation is under control, all measures have been taken to combat the outbreak and there is no possibility of affecting the health of the population.
Two days ago, in DEFRA SitRep #7 : HPAI H5N8 Flu In Europe, we looked at a report on the first 9 outbreaks in Poland that cautioned:
The dynamics of the threat of new incursions to Europe primarily mediated through wild birds is a continual, albeit variable, risk, with a level of uncertainty. Hence, we see variability from one season to another (Alarcon et al, 2018). HPAI viruses remain endemic in many parts of Central and south-east Asia and some strains could be present in the wild bird breeding areas, where some intermingling could occur with water bird species from different flyways that will winter in Western Europe this autumn. In particular, there is overlap of the East Atlantic, Central Asian and East Asian bird migration flyways in the summer breeding sites in northern Russia. Thus, there is a pathway from the HPAI-endemic regions to Western Europe (Global Consortia, 2016).
Since that report was written (January 7th), 3 more European nations (Slovakia, Hungary, and now Romania) - pretty much running in a north/south line - have reported fresh avian flu farm outbreaks, which is suggestive of spread via southbound migratory birds.
While the numbers pale compared to the historic epizootic of 2016/17, it would not be surprising to see other nations report outbreaks in the days and weeks ahead.
