FAO Reports on Global Avian Influenza Situation

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published its latest 'HPAI Situation Update'. Outbreaks in commercial poultry were reported in Egypt and Bangladesh (one outbreak each), Republic of Korea (22) and Vietnam (6).
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The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published the latest issue of ECTAD EMPRES 'HPAI Situation Update'. It covers the period from 1 April to the publication date, 26 May 2008.

African Region

The only official report from Africa was one case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at a farm with 10,000 vaccinated broilers in Hayia village in Egypt on 7 May.

American Region

A suspected case of HPAI in Venezuela in May was found to have been caused by Newcastle disease.

European Region

Russian News and Information Agency, Novosti, reported on 19 May that experts had detected AI antibodies in migratory birds in southern Siberia. There have been no official reports of HPAI in Europe since the beginning of April.

Asian Region

Reports continue to be received from Asia on outbreaks of HPAI in commercial poultry and wild birds. On 25 May, an FAO field officer in Bangladesh reported another outbreak in Tangail Sadar sub-district involving 963 chickens on one farm. This was the first outbreak after a four-week interval. On the same day, the first H5N1 infection in humans in Bangladesh was confirmed.

In early May, calls were received on an animal health hotline from several provinces in Cambodia, reporting the deaths of one or two chickens. Samples were received from a duck farm. Official sources have not received further notification regarding the presence of HPAI.

India's Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries confirmed on 9 May that samples collected from Upper Pulbarga village in West Bengal state had tested positive for H5.

In Japan, the Ministry for Environment announced on 22 May that the H5N1 virus had been detected in two swans on Towada City. One of the birds had been found dead and the other died two days after sampling.

The Republic of Korea notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about 22 cases of HPAI that occurred during April and May 2008. All but one of the outbreaks were on commercial farms. Following each case, chickens and ducks within a 3-km radius were culled and movement restrictions were imposed in the surrounding surveillance zone. The authorities have undertaken to extend surveillance across the whole country, with farms with duck parent stock as the top priority.

FAO field officers in Vietnam report outbreaks of HPAI in five provinces, the most recent in a flock of 2550 ducks in the city of Can Tho on 17 May. All remaining birds were culled after confirmation of the H5N1 virus. Of the previous cases, two were in free-ranging ducks, two in chickens and one on a farm with both ducks and chickens.

Outbreaks Reported in Poultry and Cases in Wild Birds
1 April - 26 May 2008

Source: FAO


June 2008
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