#17,697
After 20 Finnish Fur farms were found to be infected with H5N1 avian flu in the second half of July, the number of new cases has slowed (see chart below) - but as today's report shows - the threat is not over.
Today, for the first time in nearly a month - and in a previously unaffected region (North Ostrobothnia) - the Finnish Food Safety Authority (Ruokavirasto) has announced a new detection of the avian flu virus in a mink farm.
First today's (translated) announcement, after which I'll return with more.
A bird flu case in mink found in Northern Ostrobothnia
28 September 2023
Avian flu infection of fur animals has been found in farmed minks in Alavieska. This is the first case of bird flu in a fur farm in North Ostrobothnia. The case shows that the risk of bird flu infections is not over yet, and it is necessary to continue protective measures in fur farms.
Highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu has been found in a total of 27 fur farms. Except for the last one, these cases were found in the provinces of South and Central Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia in July-August.
The Alavieska bird flu case was discovered by the Food Agency on September 27 in investigations that were conducted after the owner of the fur farm reported the symptoms and deaths of the animals to the municipal veterinarian. The Food Agency orders all animals of the fur farm to be euthanized due to bird flu infection. The source of infection in the shelter is being investigated.
The bird flu survey for all fur farms in Finland has started in September. Sampling has progressed as planned. The first results of the survey are to be published at the beginning of next week (week 40).
More information:
Head of department Terhi Laaksonen, tel. 029 520 4530 (animal disease control)
Research professor Tuija Gadd, tel. 029 520 4183 (virological studies)
E-mails: firstname.surname@ruokavirasto.fi
As we've discussed numerous times over the years (see last January's That Touch of Mink Flu (2023 Edition), mink are particularly susceptible to COVID and Influenza A infection, raising concerns that they could act as a mixing vessel (see graphic below), possibly leading to the creation of a more dangerous virus.
This concern was well addressed a couple of months ago by two well known UK virologists in an opinion piece published in the Journal PNAS :
Mink farming poses risks for future viral pandemics
Thomas P. Peacock and Wendy S. Barclay
July 19, 2023
120 (30) e2303408120
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303408120
On August 1st, the food safety authority announced the decision to cull all of the mink housed at 3 H5N1 affected farms, stating that `Decisions to cull other animals will be made on a case-by-case basis'.
A little more than a week later (Aug 8th), Finland's Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) released a strong statement urging the Food Authority to take more decisive actions, warning:
Although mink is considered to be the most problematic animal species in terms of avian influenza virus infections, there are also risks associated with bird flu epidemics in dense, large animal populations of foxes and other fur-bearing animals, that the virus becomes more adaptable to mammals.
A week later Ruokavirasto pledged to test all of the fur farms in the country (n > 400), but stated it would take months to complete. Two weeks ago (Sept 13th), the Food Safety Authority finally ordered All Animals From Bird Flu Infected Fur Farms Be Euthanized.
We should see the first results from their survey of fur farms next week, but even if a farm tests clean today, that doesn't mean the virus can't gain entry tomorrow.
By now, presumably farm biosecurity has been improved across Finland, and yet new premises continue to be infected. With migratory birds returning from their summer roosting places, the risks of new outbreaks are only likely to increase this fall and winter.
Spain: Avian H5N1 Spillover Into Farmed Mink
Eurosurveillance: HPAI A(H5N1) Virus Infection in Farmed Minks, Spain, October 2022
Denmark SSI: Low to Moderate Risk of Human Infection With Bird Flu From Mink
