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• increase surveillance efforts for the early detection of H5N8 and other influenza viruses;
• maintain and further strengthen rapid response capacities of veterinary services;
• reinforce biosecurity measures, with particular emphasis on minimizing contact between domestic poultry and wild birds;
• raise awareness of hunters and other individuals who may come into contact with wildlife in order to provide early information on sick or dead wild birds.

The new strain of avian influenza has not resulted in human cases. Nevertheless it is related to the H5N1 virus, which is known to have spread from Asia into Europe and Africa in 2005–2006. The H5N1 epidemic, in which wild birds have also been implicated, has caused the deaths of nearly 400 people and hundreds of millions of poultry to date. Therefore prudent and precautionary interventions at the animal level are warranted.


The Asian link

This virus was detected early this year in Asia in poultry species in the Republic of Korea, Japan and in China. In January 2014, the authorities of the Republic of Korea reported the first poultry cases of disease due to the infection with a highly pathogenic strain H5N8 of avian influenza viruses (type A). The total of 29 outbreaks was reported in birds involving geese, chickens and ducks. Close to 600,000 birds were culled. This event was resolved in September 2014. In September 2014, the country reported a new outbreak in ducks reared for meat production where 1200 birds died and 19,800 were culled to control the disease.

In April 2014, Japan notified one outbreak caused by HPAI H5N8 with 1,100 cases reported. As a part of control measures, 112,000 birds were destroyed/culled. This outbreak was resolved in July 2014. Four months later, in November 2014, another outbreak was notified by Japan when the virus was confirmed from two (2) faecal samples taken from tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus).

China reported the same subtype of avian influenza viruses in October 2014 notifying two outbreaks involving one environmental sample and one duck sample collected as a part of the national surveillance plan.

H5N8 virus was previously seen in the United States of America (Idaho) in 2008 in the form of low pathogenic avian influenza and then six years later (2014) in California in a similar LP form.

German authorities confirmed highly pathogenic H5N8, in fattening turkeys in a semi-closed rearing system in Mecklenburg - Vorpommern in early November. One case was detected; all 1,731 susceptible birds present at the farm were destroyed.

Nine days later, veterinary services of The Netherlands detected the virus within the farm of 150,000 layer and breeding hens in Utrecht in a closed breeding system. There were 1,000 cases confirmed; all susceptible animals on the infected premises have been killed.

The United Kingdom also detected a highly pathogenic HPAI virus subtype H5N8 in a housed 60-week-old duck breeding flock that started about same time as in Netherlands. Approximately 6,000 birds has been culled.

These data are extracted from WAHIS, the OIE World Animal Health Information System.