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Northern Europe and the UK - and to a lesser extent East Asia - continue to report the biggest uptick in HPAI H5 activity (in wild birds & in poultry) since the end of their last major epizootic in the spring of 2017.
In Europe, at least, the primary culprit appears to be due to a fresh introduction of HPAI H5N8 that has been described as genetically distinct from recently circulating strains (see Pre-Print: Novel Incursion of a HPAI H5N8 Virus in the Netherlands, October 2020).
But we've also seen several spin-off reassortments (H5N5 & H5N1) appear in Germany and the Netherlands. Thus far, the UK has been less affected than Northern Europe, but today announced the detection of H5N8 in dead wild birds collected from several regions of Southwest England.
Press release
Avian influenza identified in wild birds in South West of England
Routine monitoring has detected avian influenza (bird flu) in a small number of wild birds in the South West of England
Published 11 November 2020
From:Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Food Standards Agency, Public Health England, and Animal and Plant Health Agency
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that routine monitoring has detected the H5N8 strain of avian influenza in a very small number of wild birds in Gloucestershire, Devon and Dorset.
Wild geese near Stroud in Gloucestershire and swans near Dawlish in Devon have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8. In addition, a wild goose near Weymouth in Dorset has tested positive for H5N8 (pathogenicity yet to be determined). Birds were tested posthumously and were found to have been infected with the strain of avian influenza virus which is currently circulating in wild birds in Europe.
The Chief Vets from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have urged bird keepers to maintain and strengthen their farm biosecurity measures in order to prevent further outbreaks of avian influenza in the UK. The advice follows a decision to raise the risk level for avian influenza incursion in wild Birds in Great Britain from ‘medium’ to ‘high’ last week.
There have been a number of confirmed reports of avian influenza in wild birds including geese and swans in the Netherlands and northern Germany in recent weeks. These wild birds are all on the waterfowl flyway from breeding grounds in western Russia, where the H5N8 strain was reported in poultry in mid-October.
Wild birds migrating to the UK from mainland Europe during the winter period can spread the disease to poultry and other captive birds. All bird keepers and members of the public are being urged to prevent direct or indirect contact with wild birds.
(Continue . . . )
Meanwhile, DEFRA has published their 4th Avian Flu Update & Risk Assessment in less than a month. While published today, the information appears to be current through Nov 10th, and does not include the above reports of H5N8 in wild birds.
Updated Outbreak Assessment #410 November 2020Ref: VITT/1200 HPAI in the UK and Europe
Disease Report
Since our last report on 04 November, in the United Kingdom there has been one report of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds.In the Netherlands there have been seven reports of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds, two reports of HPAI H5N1, and one outbreak of HPAI H5N8 reported in domestic poultry.
Germany has reported an additional 45 cases of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds, six reports of HPAI H5 in wild birds, and one outbreak of HPAI H5N8 in domestic poultry at a backyard premises. All continue to be in the north of the country (see map).
These wild bird cases are all on the waterfowl flyway from breeding grounds in west Russia, where H5N8 was reported in poultry in August and September. In mid-October Ireland has reported one case of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds. All disease reports are summarised in Table 1.
Situation AssessmentThe first report of HPAI H5N8 in the United Kingdom was on 03 November, in the north-west of England, in domestic poultry. There were 13,500 birds on the holding. Culling has been completed, preliminary C&D has been undertaken, in line with Council Directive 2005/94/EC. Clinical signs reported from the premises included: ‘bruising’ of the legs, abnormal nervous signs, respiratory signs, and discolouration of the head, as well as high mortality.
The first report of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds in the UK was on 09 November at a site in Gloucestershire, where five wild birds (a greylag goose and four Canada geese) were found dead on 03 November. As these are considered to be native, sedentary species, they must have been infected by other species of migratory birds.
HPAI H5N8 in Western Europe
Ireland reported its first case of H5N8 in a wild bird (HPAI has now been confirmed by sequencing) in a Peregrine falcon on the west coast (Limerick) on 09 November. The bird had been submitted for laboratory testing on 30 October.
Further reports of HPAI H5N8 cases in wild birds in the Netherlands include two Barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis), two White-Fronted geese (Anser albifrons), two Greylag geese (Anser anser), one Curlew (Numenius arquata), one Short-Eared owl (Asio flammeus), one Eurasian wigeon (Mareca Penelope) and a Teal (Anas crecca). On 06 November, HPAI H5N8 was reported on a large commercial poultry holding (99,516 birds) in the centre of the country. A 3 km surveillance zone and a 10 km protection zone have been established. Within the 3 km zone there are five other poultry premises. All premises have been inspected with no symptoms of disease observed. These events represent considerable geographical spread in wild birds and domestic poultry across the Netherlands (see map).
The main wild bird species detected with H5N8 in Germany are Eurasian wigeon (16 cases) and Barnacle geese (17 cases). However, additional species have been reported infected with H5N8: these include 2 Black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), 2 European herring gulls (Larus argentatus) a Greylag goose (Anser anser), a Bean goose (Anser fabalis), a Great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) and an unidentified Crane (Gruidae). On 09 November, there was a report of HPAI H5N8 in a backyard premises, involving three pheasants, 12 mallards and 21 laying hens, in the same part of the country
as reports in wild birds, in the Segeberg region.
The detection of raptors affected in Germany, but not so far in the Netherlands, could reflect the timing of migration; with infected wildfowl entering Germany sometime before the Netherlands, and the raptors being infected through eating carcases or hunting live wildfowl. Most of the wild bird events in Germany continue to be the north (South Jutland and Rugen) with the exception of the unidentified crane which was found further east near Albertinenhof in Brandenburg.
Other HPAI H5 in Western EuropeIn the Netherlands a dead curlew (Numenius arquat) was found on the 31 October and on 02 November a teal (Anas crecca) also found dead. Both were reported as being in wetland areas, and both confirmed with HPAI H5N1. In Denmark, HPAI H5N5 was reported on 06 November, in a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) that was found near Sakskøbing in the municipality of Guldborgsund.(SNIP)
Conclusion
As a consequence of the H5N8 HPAI poultry outbreak in the UK, and in Germany and the Netherlands; as well as the increasing HPAI H5N8 events in wild birds in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands and Germany this week, and the known migration routes on to the UK from these countries; the risk of HPAI incursion in wild birds in the UK is HIGH.
The overall risk of infection of poultry in the UK is MEDIUM; although it should be noted that the risk of introduction to individual premises depends upon the level of biosecurity implemented on farm to prevent direct or indirect contact with wild birds. We recommend biosecurity measures should be maintained or strengthened, as required.
