It was less than two months ago that FAO issued a warning that H5N8 avian influenza virus had been detected in wild birds in Tyva Republic in southern Russia and would likely spread in a south-westerly direction with the autumn migration of waterbirds. The virus, which is highly pathogenic for poultry, appears already to have travelled westward as far as Poland and Hungary, and southwards to Kerala Province in India, according to recent official notifications to the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE.

“Events in the past week demonstrated that the virus has already spread from wild birds to domestic poultry,” said FAO chief veterinary officer Juan Lubroth. The H5N8 virus has been detected in wild birds as well as domestic ducks in four States of India, and in Hungary, in a swan found dead in the southeastern part of the country, and a turkey flock in Totkomlos.

The dead Mute Swan in Hungary was found in late October near saline soda Lake Fehér-tó in Csongrád County, a well-known resting place for migratory birds, according to Andriy Rozstalnyy, FAO animal production officer for Europe and Central Asia. Hungarian authorities have now identified the virus as very similar to that found in wild birds at Lake Ubsu-Nuur, Tyva Republic in Russia in June. The locations – in Hungary and India – correspond roughly to the fall migration patterns of waterbirds, particularly Anatidae species.

Earlier this week (7 November) an H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus was also confirmed in wild birds in Poland. Though virological information is still awaited to confirm that it is the same strain, it is highly likely. While this article was under preparation, media reports of wild birds dying of the H5N8 virus in Austria, Croatia and Germany appeared. FAO continues to monitor the situation will provide regular updates.

These recent detections of H5N8 virus in wild and domestic birds are additional evidence of the role of wild birds in the long-distance movement of H5 HPAI viruses from one stopover location to another along their migration routes. This appears to be the fourth docuмented wave of intercontinental movement of such viruses since 2005. The role of wild birds in their long-distance movement is now incontrovertible, according to a recent FAO news bulletin and other scientific publications.

Countries across the region should be on high alert for incursions of the virus, should adopt stronger biosecurity measures on all poultry farms, and enhance their surveillance, said Roztalnyy. All countries along the migratory pathways of the Anatidae family of birds are at risk, including countries of the Middle East, the European Union, West Africa, the former Soviet Union, and South Asia.

“We cannot predict which countries will experience outbreaks in poultry or cases in wild birds,” Rozstalnyy said, “but all should consider measures to curtail the disease and prevent spread of the virus in poultry.” The risk extends through March-April 2017 for Europe and the Middle East, he noted.

FAO recommendations
•FAO is calling for increased testing of any wild birds found dead or shot during hunting activities, and for vigilance on the part of poultry owners near sites where waterbirds congregate.
•Gene sequencing should be performed for all H5 viruses detected, and results shared with the global community in a timely manner. This will aid understanding of how the virus is spreading
•Hunting, handling and dressing of shot waterfowl in areas where H5N8 is likely to be circulating (as is currently the situation in Europe) carries the risk of spreading avian influenza viruses to susceptible poultry.
•Commercial poultry operations and backyard poultry owners should avoid the introduction of pathogens through contaminated clothes, footwear, vehicles or equipment used in waterfowl hunting.
•Any waste from hunted birds should be treated as potentially contaminated and safely disposed of.
•Waterbird scraps should not be fed to domestic animals (cats, dogs, or poultry).

Action on wild birds not recommended

There is no benefit to be gained from attempting to control the virus in wild birds through culling or habitat destruction, FAO cautioned. Nor is there any justification for pre-emptive culling of endangered species in zoological collections.

Control measures for captive wild birds should be based on strict movement control, isolation and only when necessary limited culling of affected flocks, according to FAO.

There is no long-term carrier status of H5 avian influenza in wild or domestic birds. Use of disinfectants should be focused on areas with no accuмulated organic matter, and which have been cleaned. Spraying of birds or the environment with disinfectant – for example sodium hypochlorite or bleach – is considered potentially counter-productive, harmful to the environment, and not effective from a disease control perspective.

Public health significance

While highly pathogenic for domestic poultry, the human health risk of the Tyva 2016 strain of H5N8 virus is probably low, according to available evidence. To date, no cases of Influenza A in humans caused by avian influenza viruses have been associated with H5N8 viruses. Nevertheless, FAO is making the following recommendations:
•dead birds should not be handled or prepared for food
•authorities should be notified of any mortalities
•bird carcasses should be properly disposed of after sample collection
•standard hand hygiene practices should be followed by anyone who might come in contact with bird droppings or dead birds
•swimming in water that is potentially contaminated should be avoided
•any poultry product for consumption should always be thoroughly cooked.

9 November 2016, Budapest, Hungary

More paranoia,  :scared2:compliments of the U.N.

No more hunting, boys!

I agree with most of what you say here. Nevertheless, there could be many triggers for the disasters that will befall us. FAO says it's already here. You say it will be engineered. Let's face it, any one of us cannot only guess about these things.  I still think it is pointless to respond to their scare tactics.  

Serbia today became the latest country in Europe to report highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza, as France and the United Kingdom took new steps to protect poultry flocks from the virus.

Serbia's detection involves swans

Serbia's agriculture ministry said today that the virus was found in six mute swans found dead in a nature park near Novi Sad in the north central part of the country, according to a report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The outbreak began on Nov 30, and testing at Serbia's national lab were positive for the virus on Dec 2.

Three of Serbia's neighbors—Croatia, Hungary, and Romania—have already been hit by the virus. H5N8 has now been confirmed in 14 European countries, and it is suspected in an H5 outbreak reported by Ukrainian officials in late November. Outside of the region, the virus has also turned up in Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, and Tunisia.

In a related development, Israeli veterinary officials yesterday reported three more H5N8 outbreaks, striking turkey farms in Hadarom, southwest of where H5N8 was first reported in late November, according to another report to the OIE.

The outbreak began on Dec 2 and Dec 5 when farmers noticed an increase in bird deaths. Between the three locations, the virus sickened 23,000 of 45,000 birds, killing 16,800 of them. Authorities culled the remaining poultry.

Officials said the source of H5N8 is contact with wild species and that the affected farms are on the path of migrating birds flying from Europe to Africa.

France, UK actions

Elsewhere in Europe, France's agriculture ministry this morning announced that it raised the avian flu alert to its highest level for the whole country, according to a government statement translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary, an infectious disease news blog.

When H5N8 first turned up in France a few weeks ago, officials put the risk level at moderate, with the level at high for certain wetlands. Since then the virus has spread to at least eight poultry farms, especially in the southwestern part of the country where foie gras production is centered. At about this time last year three other strains wiped out flocks in that area.

Though H5N8 hasn't been detected in Britain, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) today as a precautionary step announced a prevention zone for the whole country, which requires poultry and captive birds to be kept indoors or for farmers to take other steps to separate them from wild birds.

DEFRA ordered the protective zone to remain in place for 30 days, and it urged poultry keepers to be alert for any signs of disease, report illnesses promptly to veterinary authorities, and take extra biosecurity measures, such as cleaning clothing and other items before contact with poultry.

H5N6 developments
•Japanese animal health officials yesterday announced two more highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks at poultry farms, both involving H5N6, in Aomori and Niigata prefectures, which had already reported H5 outbreaks. In a report to the OIE, officials said further testing confirmed N6, which follows earlier confirmation of H5N6 in wild birds.


•In Hong Kong, veterinary officials said additional tests of environmental samples taken on Nov 25 from the Mai Po Nature Reserve that yielded H5N6 also contained DNA from Northern pintail ducks, according to a separate report yesterday to the OIE.

SEOUL, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Cases of bird flu are growing in South Korea where at least six farms have reported the presence of the H5N6 virus.

Another cluster of infections was confirmed near a chicken farm in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, South Korean news service Newsis reported Tuesday.

The farm in Haenam has already been designated an infected site, but the pathogen is also spreading among migratory birds in a nearby habitat in Kumho Lake, according to the report.

Provincial authorities conducted an investigation on Nov. 30 of 40 birds from the wildlife habitat. Results showed two Eurasian teals and one spoonbill carrying the H5N6 virus.

South Korean investigators will know by Wednesday whether the confirmed presence of the virus poses the risk of an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.

A different strain of the virus, the H5N1, known to cause the Asian Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, has proven to be fatal for poultry, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus can infect humans, and some infections have resulted in deaths, but human-to-human spread is rare, according to the CDC.

The farm near the lake was confirmed an infected site on Nov. 18 and is located less than 10 miles from the wildlife sanctuary.

All six farms that have reported outbreaks are located in Sani-myeon, a district in South Jeolla Province.

Authorities said they have conducted clinical examinations of 210,000 chickens and ducks but no further infections were found.

South Jeolla Province is planning a disinfection of the area.