Saturday, October 21, 2017

Germany: Media Reports Of HPAI H5N8 Detected In Wild Duck Near NL Border



















#12,844




While I've not found an official statement yet, German and Dutch media outlets are reporting the discovery of an HPAI H5N8 infected duck in Osterwald, very near Germany's border with the Netherlands.

A couple of the reports include:

Bird flu found just over the German border, "Pray that too bad '

Saturday, October 21, 2017 | 11:31 Last updated: 21-10-2017 | 11:43
The Influenza A virus subtype H5N8 bird flu virus was identified in a wild duck in the German municipality Osterwald, about thirty kilometers from Almelo and Hardenberg. Ben Dellaertplein of AVINED, the general contact for the poultry and egg sectors, calls for vigilance.

"The message has been confirmed by the German government," Dellaertplein said in a telephone response. In a three-kilometer radius there are no poultry farms. No containment has been set.
(Continue . . . )

Influenza A virus subtype H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild duck near Almelo

Friday, October 20, 2017
Modified: Saturday, October 21, 2017

In a wild duck in the municipality Osterwald German Bentheim 25 kilometers from Almelo highly pathogenic avian Influenza A virus subtype H5N8 identified.

The Friedrich-Löffler-Institute (FLI) has officially confirmed infection, Avined reports Friday 20 October. The discovery came to light on the basis of the German wild bird monitoring program. In a radius of three kilometers around the site are no poultry farms. No containment has been set.
(Continue . . . )

Since we've seen scattered reports of HPAI H5N8 in west and central Europe over the summer (see last August's Germany Finds H5N8 In 3 Dead Swans and Switzerland: OIE Notified Of 2 More H5N8 Outbreaks In Waterfowl) - all apparently lingering remnants from last winter's epizootic - today's announcement doesn't necessarily herald a new fall incursion of the virus.

But with the imminent arrival of millions of migratory birds from Russia and China, reports such as these will undoubtedly have Europe's already battered poultry industry on high alert for just such a repeat event.