Avian Flu

Full H5N2 sequence, A/mallard/Alaska/AH0088535/2016, from Alaska mallard released at Genbank.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a wild mallard duck from a state wildlife refuge near Fairbanks, Alaska.

Dead ducks on Lake Dąbie around the Lubczyny and the Black Meadow were found last week. - A total of 74 art collected dead birds, mostly wild ducks and one seagull - told The West Regional Veterinary Inspector Maciej Prost. - We took the material for testing from five ducks and gulls, and one sent for virological tests in the direction of avian influenza. We received confirmation that appeared highly pathogenic bird flu. The virus that causes the flu is detected in clinical subtype H5N8 - added Prost. http://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2016-11-07/ptasia-grypa-atakuje-wykryto-wirus-u-dzikich-zwierzat-w-okolicach-szczecina/

APHIS has just released a press release indicating 8 of the 9 new farms in Dubois County, Indiana are LOW PATH (likely wild bird origin).

APHIS has updated its HPAI Fall Plan.

The number of wild birds tested for Fujian clade 2.3.4.4 in the 2015/2016 season in the United States has increased to 36,685.

OIE report on Dubois County Indiana LPAI H7N8 outbreak. http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Reviewreport/Review?page_refer=MapFullEventReport&reportid=19561

CDC has started an H7N8 page which cites risks to humans. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/news/avian-influenza-h7n8-update.htm

CHP reporting third recent H5N6, 31F, in Shenzhen. http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201601/18/P201601180832.htm

OIE report on Dubois County Indiana H7N8 outbreak. http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Reviewreport/Review?page_refer=MapFullEventReport&reportid=19540

APHIS has announced 9 more H7 confirmed turkey farms

ProMED has published a commentary, Avian influenza (08): USA (IN) poultry, HPAI revised to LPAI H7N8, claiming that "What is interesting is that USDA announced these cases as highly pathogenic and now seems to be recanting". This mis-information is unfortunate. The USDA data suggests that low path was widespread in turkey farms in northern Dubois county. This low path H7N8 infection went undetected until the virus evolved to high path on the index farm, leading to a drop in water consumption and excessive deaths. Subsequent testing in the 10 km exclusion zone identified low path H7N8 in adjacent farms. USDA announced the HPAI on the index farm followed by the detect…

USDA has reported high path H7N8 in turkey farm in Dubois Co Indiana. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/newsroom/news/sa_news/sa_by_date/newsroom-2016/newsroom-january-2016/ct-hpai-indiana-turkeys/!ut/p/a0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOK9_D2MDJ0MjDzdXUyMDTzdPA2cAtz8jT1dTPULsh0VAbiDHEw!/

The detection of H7N8 in a turkey farm in Dubois County, Indiana has led to series of country bans.

APHA has released a full set of sequences from 2016 low path H5N1 in Scotland.

A fatal H5N6 case, 42M, was confirmed in Ganzhou, Jiangxi , ex Jieyang, Guagdong via routine surveillance.

CHP reporting another H5N6 case in Guangdong (3rd case in a week). This case increases the number of confirmed cases to 7 (2 in 2014 and 2 in 2015 prior to recent cases).

EID paper on sequence from first Guangdong H5N6 case http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4672456/ Genetic Characterization of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N6) Virus, Guangdong, China.

WHO has been notified of two H5N6 cases in Guangdong province. Both cases are in critical condition with disease onset dates days apart.

APHIS has released a large series of wild bird clade 2.3.4.4 H5N1, H5N2, and H5N8 sequences dating back to December 2014,

Sequence analysis of Fijuan clade 2.3.4.4 poultry outbreaks in Taiwan identify multiple reassortants.

APHIS has reported the detection Fujian H5 in a hunter harvested mallard in Morrow County, Oregon. http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/128fbc7

Canada steps up avian flu surveillance https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015AGRI0077-002139

The APHIS December 11 update increases the number of wild birds tested for Fujian clade 2.3.4.4 to 27,341. To date H5 has been detected in Davis County, Utah and Morrow County, Oregon. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/downloads/JULY 2015 - JUNE 2016 WILD BIRD POSITIVE HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA CASES IN THE UNITED STATES.pdf

APHIS has updated wild bird tables with 16 new positives. Although full serotypes were not generated, 15 were from January collections in Northern California (Colusa and Sutter Counties) where only H5N8 was found in positives when full serotypes were obtained. The 16th positive was a May collection in Sioux County, Iowa and was likely H5N2. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/downloads/DEC 2014 - JUNE 2015 WILD BIRD POSITIVE HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA CASES IN THE UNITED STATES.pdf