Today the FAO has released a 32-page document with recommendations for the surveillance for H5N1 in cattle (with broader application to other farmed mammals), even for countries outside of the Americas.
El Masry, I., Delgado, A.H., Silva, G.O.D., Dhingra, M. & Lyons, N.A. 2024. Recommendations for the surveillance of influenza A(H5N1) in cattle – With broader application to other farmed mammals. FAO Animal Production and Health Guidelines, No. 37. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd3422en
A press release is available at FAO publishes new guidelines for surveillance of influenza in cattle, while from the FAO website, we get this short description:
Synopsis (short abstract)
As influenza A(H5N1) of clade 2.3.4.4b continues to spread from wild birds to poultry and to both terrestrial and marine mammals, the recent cases in cattle highlight the critical importance of being prepared for and responding rapidly to spillover events and of planning for early detection and response at the country level, especially in countries of low and middle income.
These recommendations from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) aim to support countries in enhancing influenza A(H5N1) surveillance in cattle populations, with broader application to other farmed mammals, to inform risk assessment and evidence-based disease control measures. Integrated surveillance strategies can leverage existing programmes for avian influenza and other cattle diseases, enabling countries to enhance monitoring capabilities while maintaining cost efficiency.
With regard to preparing effectively, FAO recommends a combination of different surveillance methods including risk-based surveillance strategies tailored to individual country contexts. Adopting these recommendations will strengthen early detection efforts, support evidence-based decision-making and help implement targeted risk mitigation measures to protect both livestock and public health
From the document:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommends that all countries maintain passive surveillance for A(H5N1) to rapidly detect spillover events in non-avian species, using an appropriate case definition alongside education and outreach to relevant stakeholders to improve awareness of this emerging disease. Additionally, countries may choose to use other surveillance approaches to leverage routine and opportunistic sampling to evaluate the health of cattle populations.
`Passive surveillance' is described in this document as:
Passive surveillance of influenza A(H5N1) in cattle describes the surveillance that is achieved when:
• farmers identify that they have some sick cattle and they contact a veterinarian to seek help (FAO, 2014); and
• veterinary and/or animal health professionals report unexplained mortality, neurological symptoms and/ or respiratory symptoms in other animal species on dairy premises to the veterinary services
Passive surveillance, as has been demonstrated here in the United States, is not without its drawbacks. But in many countries it may be the best that can be realistically hoped for.
Some of the different levels of surveillance discussed include:
While HPAI H5 in cattle has only been detected in America thus far - and from genotype B3.13 - there are studies showing other genotypes may be capable of infecting cattle, and we've seen evidence of H5N1 in Mongolian horses, making it plausible that other spillovers could occur almost anywhere.
Follow the link to download and review the full document.
