Sunday, October 16, 2022

UK Bird H5 Flu Outbreaks Continue To Rise - Mexico Reports HPAI H5 In Gyrfalcon

 

#17,065

Five days ago, in UK HPAI H5 Outbreaks Surge In 1st 10 Days of October, we looked at the record-setting number (n=22) of HPAI H5 outbreaks in the UK since Oct 1st.  Over the previous year, the UK had reported the worst avian epizootic in their history (158 outbreaks), averaging one every 2.5 days. 

Over the first 10 days of October, that rate had jumped to 2.2 cases per day, a trend that continues today with the latest update from the UK's DEFRA, showing another 17 cases over the past 5 days. 

As of yesterday (Oct 15th) DEFRA was reporting:

Disease control zones in force

The government has confirmed 39 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in England since 1 October 2022. There have been 197 cases of HPAI H5N1 since the H5N1 outbreak started on 27 October 2021.

2022 to 2023

The above only account for outbreaks in poultry and other captive birds. The UK has also reported 35 detections in wild birds during week 40 of 2022, compared to 6 wild birds detected during the entire month  October, 2021.

While the UK appears to be getting the worst of it, we are seeing numerous avian flu reports coming in from around the world, including the United States and Canada.  The latest update from the USDA shows the number of cases for October has roughly doubled since our last look on Oct 10th.


How many outbreaks occur in other nations, but are never publicly acknowledged, is anyone's guess. 

Over the weekend, Mexico announced  their first detection of HPAI H5 - in a wild gyrfalcon - and are now urging their poultry industry to take immediate actions to protect their flocks.  This report from SENASICA.

Agriculture reports case of avian influenza AH5N1 in wild birds

Senasica urges poultry producers to increase biosecurity measures on their farms and report suspicious cases

National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality | October 14, 2022

Senasica confirmed in its laboratories the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza AH5N1, a strain of the virus that has caused serious outbreaks in Europe, the United States and Canada. The isolation was carried out in a gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) that fed on wild game birds in the Lerma river basin, State of Mexico.

The agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that as a result of the work carried out through the National Animal Health Emergency Device (Dinesa), launched in June 2022 to protect national poultry production, received the report and the pertinent tests were immediately carried out in order to confirm the cause of the falcon's death.

The word `unprecedented' has been used a lot over the past year regarding the spread of avian flu (see Nature Why unprecedented bird flu outbreaks sweeping the world are concerning scientists and Unprecedented `Order Shift' In Wild Bird H5N1 Positives In Europe & The UK), but we may have only seen HPAI H5's opening act. 

Granted, previous incarnations of HPAI H5N1 have loomed large before. only to recede. But past performance is never a guarantee of future results.

HPAI H5 Clade 2.3.4.4b continues to evolve and spread globally. It has become better adapted to year-round persistence (see Study: Global Dissemination of Avian H5N1 Clade 2.3.4.4b Viruses and Biologic Analysis Of Chinese Variants), and has shown an increasing ability to spillover into mammalian species (see here, here, here and here).

Despite 3 known (mild) human infections, the health threat to the general public from these viruses remains very low, and it is mainly of concern to those who work closely with poultry.

Last week, however,  we saw the release of ECDC Guidance For Testing & Identification Of Zoonotic Influenza Infections In Humans In The EU/EAA, while CDC Guidance can be found HERE. 

How this plays out is anyone's guess. But we need to be prepared to deal with any new challenges ahead.

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