Friday, November 18, 2011

H5N2 #Bird Flu Breaks Out in Taiwan

Friday, November 18, 2011

Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Breaks Out in Taiwan

TAIWAN - The Taiwanese veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), at Zhupei City located in Northern Taiwan's Hsinchu.

The World Oragnisation for Animal Health (OIE) received an immediate notification yesterday, 17 November. The causal agent was found to be H5N2 serotype.

The affected population consists of 2,720 native chicken breeders and 3,280 native chickens, thereby bringing the number of susceptible birds to 6000. Out of this, 20 cases were identified. No deaths were recorded, and no birds were destroyed.

The report states that the notifiable avian influenza (NAI) viral infection was detected on a native chicken breeder farm in the process of active surveillance and identified as H5N2 strain on 15 November 2011. Movement restriction was implemented on the infected farm immediately when the virus was detected.

Clinical health investigation in the infected farm was done and showed that the breeders were in healthy condition and without clinical signs. The positive results of serological and virological tests confirm this H5N2 outbreak. The clinical and epidemiological investigation of surrounding poultry farms and pathogenicity test of virus isolate are in progress.

According to the report, note by the OIE Animal Health Information Department: H5 and H7 avian influenza in its low pathogenic form in poultry is a notifiable disease as per Chapter 10.4. on avian influenza of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (2011).

The source of the outbreak remains inconclusive.

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