Highly pathogenic avian influenza

Eleven European countries (Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, French, Germany, Holland, Poland, United Kingdom, Romania, Serbian, Switzerland) reported highly pathogenic Avian Influenza due to H5N8 virus (H5N8 HPAI) outbreaks between October and December 2016. These outbreaks effected various wild bird species other than domestic poultry. The rapid increase in the number of outbreaks made more vulnerable those countries such as Hungary and Sweden, which never recorded cases of H5N8 HPAI. On the 28 ^th October 2016 a first case of H5N8 HPAI was detected in Hungary in a mute swan found dead in Csongrád County. On the 4^th of November 2016 the first HPAI H5N8 case was notified in a fattening turkey holding located in Békés County. Poultry in the farm was culled and protection and surveillance zones were established. On the 23 ^th November 2016 the first case of H5N8 HPAI was detected in Sweden, in a wild bird in the Skane region of southern Sweden. Afterwards, a first case of HPAI was confirmed H5 in a laying hen holding in Skåne County.

In Italy H5N8 was notified for the first time in December of 2014 in the province of Rovigo. On the 5 ^th January 2017 a case of HPAI H5N8 subtype was confirmed in a Wigeon (Anas penelope) found dead near the lagoon of Grado. Also two cases of H5N5 were reported in a Wigeon (Anas penelope) and in Gadwall (Anas strepera) found dead near the Grado lagoon. On January 21, 2017 the National Reference Centre for Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease (CRN) confirmed a case of H5N8 in a turkey farm located in Venice, the first in the domestic industrial sector. On the same date H5N8was confirmed in organs from a wild swan (Cygnus cygnus) found in the province of Gorizia. On January 23, 2017 a second outbreak was confirmed in a turkey farm in the municipality of Piove di Sacco. On 24 January 2017, protection zones were established. The Ministry of Health adopted two subsequent provisions with the aim of containing the infection: DGSAF 05/01/2017M; DGSAF 30/2/2016.

The chronology of outbreaks events and Decisions adopted by the European commission (EC) are available on the website of the EC. (Last update 25/01/2017).