The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued an advisory for enhanced surveillance and stricter biosecurity measures to try to counter a “surge” in bird flu cases across Europe.
Between 6 September and 14 November, 1,443 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza were reported in wild birds across 26 European countries, four times higher than during the same period last year, and the highest in nearly a decade.
Several cases have been reported in Ireland and Northern Ireland in recent weeks leading to Irish authorities applying a housing order to farms.
EFSA says the surge has been detected in wild birds, leading to fears of further cases on farms.
The onward spread to farms is due to the “very high circulation” of the virus in wild birds and the risk of related environmental contamination, EFSA said.
EFSA advises national, regional and local authorities, those involved in domestic poultry production and wild bird management, and those responsible for mammals at risk of avian influenza, to implement the following actions.
- Maintain high biosecurity in establishments keeping domestic birds, during both normal production and culling operations.
- Issue housing orders for domestic birds in areas with confirmed HPAI in wild birds or mass mortality events.
- Enhance surveillance in domestic birds to ensure early detection of infection in poultry establishments.
- Focus wild bird surveillance on wetland areas and migratory stopover sites within and outside Europe.
- Include wildlife rescue or rehabilitation centres in surveillance and ensure adequate biosecurity.
- Avoid artificial feeding of wild birds – especially cranes and swans – during high‑risk periods to reduce crowding and transmission risk.
- Remove wild bird carcasses promptly to reduce contamination of the environment with HPAI and prevent infection of other wild or domestic birds and mammals.
- Minimise disturbance of wild bird populations (e.g. hunting, leisure activities, drones) to limit further dispersal of the virus.
According to EFSA data, the UK, Ireland, Germany and Belgium are at the highest risk of further cases.
EFSA’s Bird Flu Radar calculates the probability of the introduction of the HPAI virus in wild bird populations in Europe over space and time.
The majority of cases in wild birds were in waterfowl and common cranes. 99 percent of the cases detected across Europe are the H5N1 strain of the virus, EFSA said.
In a joint statement scientists from the European Food Safety Authority and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza said:
“Based on the sharp increase, high level and wide geographical distribution of HPAI virus detections reported in wild birds during the current reporting period, it is expected that high levels of HPAI virus circulation in wild birds in Europe are likely to continue and to expand to other geographical areas in coming weeks as wild birds continue to migrate to their wintering areas in Europe and Africa. Unless additional measures are taken, this will likely lead to increased virus incursion into poultry and other captive bird establishments, as well as higher mortality of wild birds and mammals. Therefore, people and organisations involved with domestic or wild birds, or mammals, at risk for HPAI need to account for this unprecedented high level of HPAI virus circulation to prevent or reduce further virus spread.
However, on no account should the concern about HPAI result in killing or disturbing wild birds or damaging their habitat. Not only would such measures be ineffective, they also contravene national and international agreements to protect wild birds and their habitats.”