OIE Notification Of H5N1 In Bulgaria

Bulgaria Lies beneath Black Sea / Mediterranean Flyway

 

*** UPDATED at Bottom ***

 

# 9639

 

Yesterday, in Media Reports: Bird Flu In Bulgaria, we looked at reports of the first detection of H5N1 in Bulgaria since January of 2010 when they reported One fallen common buzzard (Buteo buteo) in Varna (see 2010 OIE report).   Prior to that, you have to go back to the great H5N1 expansion of 2006 to find a report in that part of Europe.

 

Today the OIE has published this latest incident’s notification, excerpts which you’ll find below:

 

Epidemiology

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection

• Contact with wild species

Epidemiological comments
Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) real-time PCR positive for HPAI subtype H5N1 was found dead on 22 January in Poda protected area. The samples will be tested for confirmation by inoculation of chicken embryos. The pelican was found dead together with a black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) in the framework of the passive surveillance under the national avian influenza surveillance and control program approved by European Commission. The black-headed gull was tested with negative result for avian influenza.

 

While rarely reported in this region of Europe, the detection of HPAI H5N1 in wild birds isn’t completely unexpected, as migratory birds, who nest in northern Russia and China during the summer, pass through this area on their overwintering trek south.

This year, in addition to seeing the robust spread of HPAI H5N8 (and H5N2) via migratory birds, we’ve also seen a strong resurgence of H5N1 in the Middle East, India and Africa. 

 

While the threat to humans is relatively small right now, with a growing roster of HPAI viruses emerging out of China  – including H5N8, H5N6, H5N3, H7N9, and H10N8 - biosecurity measures for both backyard flocks and commercial poultry operations will need to be strictly followed.

Even in areas like North America, that have been relatively immune to such avian viruses in the past.

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*** UPDATE ***

 

Meanwhile -  just after I posted this blog - there is this new media report of dead birds being tested in Stara Zargora, about 160 km west of Burgas where the first bird was found. This may be just a case of post-Burgas jitters, but we’ll keep an eye on it.

 

Suspected bird flu in Stara Zagora

Report dead bird in Stara Zagora up emotions and raise doubts about a new case of bird flu after Burgas. The signal was received on the "green" phone in Stara Zagora environmental inspectorate of duty in Radnevo municipality around noon on Wednesday. Immediately after it was informed the Regional Directorate for Food Safety and health inspectors have harvested bird.

 

Media Reports: Bird Flu In Bulgaria

 

*** UPDATED: ***  0900 hrs

At least 1 media report now identifies the subtype as H5N1

We have taken measure along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast over bird flu: doctor

# 9632

 

The Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture & Food website remains silent, and nothing has appeared yet on the OIE Alerts page, but the Bulgarian press is rife this morning with reports of the discovery of bird flu (subtype not named) in a dead pelican in or near the Poda Protected Area located south of the port city of Bourgas on the Black Sea. 

Poda is described on Wikipedia as:

. . .  a biologically important area as a resting station for many of the migratory birds who use the Eastern European migratory route, Via Pontica; as well as an important nesting habitat for many breeding species

Local media reports the Minister of Agriculture either already has, or will hold a press conference later today.  The most details I’ve found come from the following short announcement from Focus News Agency:

 

Tsvetan Dimitrov, MAF: Joined bird flu in the region of Burgas

27 January 2015 | 12:53 | Agency "Focus"

Sofia. Four days ago in the city of Burgas found dead birds. That said, during a special press conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Tsvetan Dimitrov, reporter Agency "Focus" . He explained that they found two dead birds - Pelican and seagull. In his words, after this research has found that the pelican is avian flu. Deputy Minister Dimitrov assured that there is nothing wrong with the situation and had taken all measures.

Xenia PEEVA

 

Although none of this is `official’ until a report has been filed with the OIE, the media reports are consistent and are quoting officials with the Ministry of Food & Agriculture.

 

There is no word as to what laboratory did the testing, or what variety of avian flu was detected.  

Bulgaria (red dot in map below) lies almost centered in the NE/SW oriented Black Sea / Mediterranean Flyway, which runs from northern Russia to western and central Africa.  This flyway crosses south central Europe where H5N8 has recently emerged, and across the Middle East and Nigeria – both regions having reported H5N1 recently, and on numerous occasions in the past.

You’ll notice that while these migratory bird flyways run essentially north to south – they overlap – which could allow for the lateral (east-west) movement of avian viruses over time as well.  Viruses that are endemic in the East Asia Australian Flyway could conceivably seep into the Central Asian Flyway, and from there move further west into the East African or Black Sea flyways.

 

Last November, in The North Atlantic Flyway Revisited, we looked at the ability of seabirds to carry avian flu viruses, along with the potential for lateral creep of flu viruses across overlapping flyways.

 

To finish up, a sampling of some other press reports from Bulgaria:

 

Registered bird flu in Burgas

DARIK News - ‎

A little earlier today the Ministry of Agriculture and Food said in Burgas is a case of bird flu . The ministry called an emergency press conference. It will be attended by Deputy Minister of Agriculture ...

Case of bird flu has been registered in Burgas

Дневник - ‎

In Burgas is no case of bird flu , officials BTV, citing information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF). This is the first proven strain of bird flu in Bulgaria. According to the ...

Registered bird flu in Burgas

Nova News -

Case of bird flu was registered in Burgas, announced the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The winner of the infection is a pelican bird's corpse was found in the protected area "Poda" near Burgas. This is the first proven ...