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PARIS – In recent days, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) informed the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of several outbreaks of severe bird flu in Europe and Asia, a sign that the virus is spreading rapidly again. .
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The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has put the poultry industry on alert after previous outbreaks led to the slaughter of tens of millions of birds. Outbreaks also often result in trade restrictions.
It is also attracting the attention of epidemiologists, as the virus can be transmitted to humans. China has reported 21 human infections with the H5N6 avian influenza subtype so far this year, more than in all of 2020.
South Korea reported an outbreak at a farm of about 770,000 poultry in Chungcheongbuk-do, the OIE said on Monday, citing a report by South Korean authorities. All the animals were euthanized.
Also in Asia, Japan reported its first outbreak of the 2021 winter season, at a poultry farm in the northeast of the country, the OIE said, confirming a statement last week from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture. The serotype of this outbreak was H5N8.
In Europe, Norway reported an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in the Rogaland region in a flock of 7,000 birds, the OIE said.
Outbreaks generally occur in the fall, spread by migratory wild birds.
The Belgian government put the country at increased risk for bird flu, ordering poultry to be kept indoors starting Monday, after a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu was identified in a wild goose near Antwerp.
This followed a similar move in neighboring France earlier this month and in the Netherlands in October.
Avian flu cannot be spread through ingestion of poultry products.
Reference-torontosun.com