WattAgNet: Avian flu hits Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Niger poultry

Most cases affect chickens and geese

In Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and South Korea have recorded new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in the past week. There have also been cases in poultry in the western African state of Niger.

Research from Hong Kong sheds new light on the apparent rise in China of human cases of H7N9 influenza, which have been linked to exposure to sick poultry.

More than 138,000 Taiwanese poultry succumb to HPAI
Taiwan has been battling to control HPAI of the H5N2 variant in poultry for more than two years.

According to the animal health agency’s latest report to the OIE, there were a further eight outbreaks of the disease in the week starting March 31. Affected were seven flocks of native chickens and one of geese, and more than 138,000 birds died or were destroyed as a result. Five of the outbreaks were in the county of Yunlin, two in Chiayi, and one at a slaughterhouse in the city of Kaohsiung.

New avian flu cases reported in Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong
According to a recent veterinary authority report to the OIE, there have been four new outbreaks of HPAI in Vietnam, all involving what is described as “backyard flocks.” Two outbreaks involving the loss of 6,500 birds were caused by the H5N6 virus in the same district in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. A further 3,670 died or were destroyed as a result of the H5N1 virus variant in two…