Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 12/22/16


New outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom are prompting even more culling of poultry flocks, more extensive biosecurity measures and even bans of poultry and poultry product imports.

South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that more than 22 million birds have been culled in the wake of several HPAI outbreaks in the 36 days since the first confirmed outbreak was reported, according to several media reports. Meanwhile, authorities in Taiwan ordered a poultry slaughterhouse in Taipei disinfected after two chickens in a slaughterhouse were confirmed to have contracted a strain of H5 HPAI, Focus Taiwan reported. 

Japan also is preparing to cull another 120,000 chickens in the southern prefecture of Miyazaki  following a confirmed case of H5 HPAI was detected on a farm, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, authorities in Hong Kong issued a ban on poultry products from Japan, citing the outbreak in Miyazuki prefecture, where 27.4 million broilers are produced each year, according to Global Times. About 100 birds were found dead from HPAI and another 10 tested positive for the virus.

Separately, the China’s state news agency said authorities have ordered a halt to poultry sales in the wake of the confirmation of an H7N9 strain of HPAI along with additional import bans of poultry from a growing list of affected countries, according to the International Business Times. A second human infection also was diagnosed in Fujian province, the report noted.

In Hungary, officials have ordered poultry farms in a several counties to keep their birds indoors in an effort to contain the spread of HPAI. Animal health officials issues a warning to poultry farmers after the H5N8 strain of HPAI was confirmed last month, according to the Budapest Journal.  

Officials in the United Kingdom raised the safety risk from HPAI to “high” after more outbreaks were confirmed in mid-December from “low,” according to Vet Times. Meanwhile, officials in Wales confirmed a case of H5N8 HPAI infection in a wild duck less than one week after an HPAI outbreak at a turkey farm in Lincolnshire was reported. A protection zone across the United Kingdom remains in place until early January, Wales Online reported.

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