EFSA’s Report On H5N8’s Arrival In Europe

H5N8 Branching Out To Europe & Japan

# 9440

 

On a morning where the German media is reporting another suspected bird flu outbreak (see below), we’ve a statement and study released by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) that attempts to divine just how the H5N8 avian flu virus managed to get from South Korea to Western Europe in just a matter of months.

But first, one of several media reports in the German press on a suspected bird flu outbreak at a turkey farm in a district of Cloppenburg. Testing is underway to determine if this outbreak is due to same H5N8 virus which has struck in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK over the past six weeks.

 

Turkey Farm affected

Bird flu suspected case in the district of Cloppenburg

15.12.2014, 13:43 clock

Osnabrück. If the bird flu H5N8 pathogen reaches the poultry Weser-Ems region? In a turkey barn in the district of Cloppenburg there should be a suspected case.

The district confirmed a report of the NDR. Accordingly, it should be a turkey barn with nearly 20,000 animals from the northern district. The State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES) is currently examining whether this is the introduced from Asia, pathogens, according to a spokesman of the circle. That suspicion is confirmed, all animals had to be killed.

(Continue . . .)

 

It should be noted that there are a number of other avian flu viruses that could be responsible for this outbreak, including the H7 subtypes.  We should know more in a day or so.

 

Meanwhile the EFSA has published the following news item summarizing the findings of their report on the entry of H5N8 into Europe.  As you will see, their findings are inconclusive.

 

H5N8 avian influenza: EFSA assesses entry routes into Europe

News Story
15 December 2014

The precise route of introduction of the H5N8 virus into Europe still remains uncertain, says a scientific report of EFSA that has been generated in collaboration with Member States and the EU Reference Laboratory.

It is plausible that the virus has entered poultry farms in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom indirectly, through material contaminated by infected wild birds - such as human activities, movement of vehicles or equipment. As all affected farms use indoor housing facilities, experts conclude that a direct transmission from wild birds to farmed poultry is unlikely.

Experts say that there are no known direct migration routes from East Asia to Europe. One hypothesis is that infected migratory birds from East Asia transmit the virus to other species at breeding and stopover places in Eurasia, but this hypothesis needs further investigation.

(Continue . . . )

And a link to the actual report.  I’ve included the (slightly reformatted for readability) abstract, but follow the link to download the entire study.

 

 

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A subtype H5N8

EFSA Journal 2014;12(12):3941 [32 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3941

European Food Safety Authority Acknowledgment Contact European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Type: Scientific Report of EFSA On request from: European Commission Question number: EFSA-Q-2014-00838 Approved: 05 December 2014 Published: 15 December 2014 Affiliation: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy

• Article (1.5 Mb)

Abstract

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 outbreaks in poultry farms have been reported in Asia and Europe since January and November 2014, respectively. The entry of HPAI H5N8 into Europe and its subsequent spread within Europe are two separate events with possibly different transmission vectors.

Following epidemiological investigations of infected poultry holdings, there is not yet a clear indication of the source of the virus. There are no known direct bird migration routes from Asia to western Europe. It has been hypothesised that long-distance transmission of HPAI viruses could occur as a result of cross-infection between different birds in north Eurasian breeding areas, but this hypothesis needs further investigation. HPAI H5N8 has been detected in wild bird populations in Germany and the Netherlands.

Direct contact between wild birds and farmed birds in the affected holdings was unlikely. It is more plausible that indirect introduction of HPAI H5N8 to poultry holdings via humans, vehicles, equipment, fomites, live animals and/or animal-derived products contaminated with virus (for instance in faeces) of  infected birds took place. Investigations in the Netherlands suggest separate introductions into four holdings and one between-farm transmission.

Assessing biosecurity procedures is recommended with a focus on segregation, cleaning and disinfection, and improving where necessary. Given the apparent low pathogenicity of HPAI H5N8 for several wild bird species, focused strategic and proportionate enhancement of active and passive surveillance of living and dead wild birds in the high risk areas would improve the understanding of the risk of virus transmission to poultry. It might also facilitate the design of targeted measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission between poultry and wild birds. Timely updated analyses on the evolving situation within the European Union are required, as well as assessment of all transmission routes that might transport HPAI viruses from Asia to Europe.

© European Food Safety Authority, 2014

(Continue . . . )

 

EFSA Task Force Report On E. Coli O104:H4

 

 

Photo Credit – ECDC 

 

# 5672

 

 

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released an updated task force report on the enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) outbreak that has affected more than 4000 people (including 47 fatal cases) across 13 nations in Europe since mid-May.

 

Although we’ve seen other E. Coli outbreaks in the past, this one is remarkable both for the total number of victims, and the virulence of this emerging 0104:H4 strain of E. Coli.

 

During the opening weeks of the outbreak suspicions regarding the source of the infection were cast in a variety of directions, causing serious economic harm to produce growers in Spain and elsewhere. 

 

Over the past two weeks, investigators have zeroed in on fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt as being the likely source of the E. Coli contamination.

 

Two links this morning, along with some excerpts from the EFSA’s press release and technical report.  Follow the links to read them in their entirety.

 

 

EFSA publishes report from its Task Force on the E. coli O104:H4 outbreaks in Germany and France in 2011 and makes further recommendations to protect consumers

Press Release
5 July 2011

The EFSA Task Force established to coordinate investigations to track down the possible source of the French and German outbreaks of E. coli O104:H4 has concluded that one lot of fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt and used to produce sprouts is the most likely common link between the two outbreaks.

 

However, it cannot be excluded that other lots of fenugreek imported from Egypt during the period 2009-2011 may be implicated. Based on these findings, EFSA recommends to the European Commission that all efforts be made to prevent any further consumer exposure to the suspect seeds and that forward tracing be carried out in all countries which may have received seeds from the concerned lots.

 

In this context, EFSA continues to advise consumers not to grow sprouts for their own consumption and not to eat sprouts or sprouted seeds unless they have been cooked thoroughly.

<SNIP>

 

The analysis of information from the French and German outbreaks leads to the conclusion that an imported lot of fenugreek seeds which was used to grow sprouts imported from Egypt by a German importer, is the most likely common link but other lots may be implicated. The report highlights that negative results from microbiological tests carried out on seeds cannot be interpreted as proof that a lot is not contaminated with STEC.

(Continue . . . )

 

Details on the trace back investigation that has led the EFSA to conclude that contaminated fenugreek seeds are behind this outbreak are contained in the technical document below.

 

The actual report is a 23-page PDF file.  The link below is to the summary.

 

 

 

Tracing seeds, in particular fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, in relation to the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O104:H4 2011 Outbreaks in Germany and France

Question number: EFSA-Q-2011-00817
Issued: 5 July 2011

Report (0.1 Mb)

Summary

On the 21^st of May 2011, Germany reported an ongoing outbreak of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli- bacteria (STEC[1][2]), serotype O104:H4 (Frank et al., 2011). In Germany, between the 1^st of May and the 28^th of June 2011, 838 Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) cases and 3 091 STEC cases with diarrhea have been reported, of which 47 persons have died (RKI, 2011).

 

On Friday the 24^th of June, France reported[3] a cluster of patients with bloody diarrhoea, after having participated in an event in the Commune of Bègles near Bordeaux on the 8th of June. As of 28 June, eight cases of bloody diarrhoea and a further eight cases with HUS have been identified. Eleven of these patients, seven women and four men, between 31 and 64 years of age, had attended the same event in Bègles. Infection with E. coli O104:H4 has been confirmed for four patients with HUS.

 

Six of the cases reported having eaten sprouts at the event on the 8^th of June, and leftovers are being analysed. Outbreak investigation revealed that the suspected sprouts of fenugreek, rocket and mustard had been privately produced in small quantities by the organiser of the event from seeds bought at an approved garden centre, and were not imported from the sprout producer implicated in the outbreak in Germany (INVS, 2011). An analytical epidemiological study is ongoing with the persons that attended the event on 8^th of June. Local trace back investigations in France suggested that the seeds for sprouting were distributed to the approved garden centre by a UK based company.

(Continue . . . )

 

After the row last week over the ECDC first printing, then removing the name of the (suspected) supplier of the contaminated seeds (see CIDRAP article), it is interesting to note that none of the links in the supply chain appear to be directly named in this report.

 

The bottom line is that while the number of new cases continues to decline, the potential exists for additional localized outbreaks as potentially contaminated seeds may still be in the pipeline.

 

From the report:

 

The number of Member States that have received parts of the suspected lots is much larger than previously known and it cannot be excluded that other Member States and third countries were supplied. The trace forward operation is becoming complex and widespread and may take weeks.

 

Hence the EFSA’s advise to people: not to grow sprouts for their own consumption and not to eat sprouts or sprouted seeds unless they have been cooked thoroughly.