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Bird Flu Cases on the Rise in Poultry Farms
German and European poultry farms have witnessed a spike in bird flu cases, with Germany reporting around a dozen outbreaks since October, as per Timm Harder, the head of the National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) near Greifswald. Harder noted that this situation extends beyond Germany's borders, citing the numerous bird flu cases across Europe.
Turkeys bore the brunt of the outbreaks in Germany during November, with around 25,000 turkeys culled from infections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and about 24,000 in Lower Saxony. The latest FLI report confirms over 1.6 million farmed birds affected across Europe in November alone, with Hungary facing the harshest impact.
Harder attributes the increase in outbreaks to seasonality and bird migration, suggesting that migratory birds introduce the virus to poultry farms. He also highlights the influence of new gene variants, which may contribute to the virus's increased contagion. Four new genotypes have surfaced in Germany, according to Harder, potentially aiding the virus's spread.
Antarctica is under close watch as the fear of the bird flu virus spreading looms large. The virus has reached offshore islands, making it an expeditious journey for seabirds like albatrosses, and the continent has 20 million penguins that live close together during the breeding season. Should one happen to be infected, the virus would likely spread quickly due to the close proximity of the species. Sampling and gaining an accurate picture of the situation in the region prove challenging.
In Germany, there was no evident outbreak of the virus among mammals in November. Harder points out that fewer carcasses or sick wild birds are found due to a decrease in the wild bird population. The public health risk from the globally widespread virus group remains relatively low, with Harder conceding that no new human cases have been reported. Restricted to certain regional forms of the virus, recent situations were reported in Southeast Asia.
The FLI assesses the risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5 regularly, providing valuable insights for poultry farming and public health in Germany and beyond.
Insights: The recent surge in bird flu cases in European poultry farms, including Germany, is primarily due to the H5N1 HPAI virus. The virus is highly contagious and has been reported in backyard poultry flocks, zoos, and other premises in various European countries. National Antarctic programs are monitoring for signs of avian influenza in seabirds, and precautionary measures, such as disinfectant protocols and site closures, are implemented to prevent the spread of the disease.
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