FIRE-EARTH AI Alerts: H7 HPAI, H5N2 LPAI, HAPI A Viruses

AI: H5N2 strain reported in Wisconsin, H7 HPAI in Tennessee

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported a  strain of low pathogenic H5N2 avian flu  in a flock of 84,000 turkeys in Barron County, Wisconsin (OIE), the second in the country in two days.

The USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection are responding to this event. • Testing of the commercial turkey flock occurred after the birds exhibited signs of depression. • Samples were submitted for laboratory testing and were confirmed positive for influenza A virus H5N2 LPAI North American wild bird origin. Both the HA and NA are distinct from the EA/AM H5N2 clade 2.3.4.4 viruses from 2015. • The infected premises was quarantined and the turkeys will be depopulated through controlled marketing. • A comprehensive epidemiological investigation with enhanced surveillance is ongoing.

On March 5, USDA/APHIS confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) of North American wild bird lineage in a commercial chicken breeder flock in Lincoln County, Tennessee. “This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in commercial poultry in the United States this year. The flock of 73,500 is located within the Mississippi flyway. Samples from the affected flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at Tennessee’s Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. Virus isolation is ongoing, and NVSL expects to characterize the neuraminidase protein, or ‘N-type’, of the virus within 48 hours.”

In December 2016, a total of 56 outbreaks of HPAI were detected in poultry farms across Hungary, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands affecting a variety of poultry species (ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens) mainly in backyard farms. Additionally the virus was found in wild birds in 10 EU Member States (Hungary, Poland, Germany, Croatia, Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Romania), as well as in Switzerland.

2017 Reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza and HPAI A viruses:

Algeria, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, China (People’s Rep. of), Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia (Former Yug. Rep. of), Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, U.S., Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

2017 Reported cases of  low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry): 

Cases reported in the U.S., South Africa, Netherlands, Germany, France, Chile and Cambodia so far this year.