WattAgNet: Russia, Egypt report new cases of avian flu in poultry

Low pathogenic avian influenza detected in poultry in Libya

Animal health agencies in Russia and Egypt have reported new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry over the last week, and a low-pathogenic virus has been detected in a poultry flock in Libya.

There have also been 23 new confirmed human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China over the last week.

New HPAI outbreaks reported in poultry in Egypt, Russia
Covering the period between the end of February and mid-April, there were six new outbreaks of HPAI in Egyptian poultry caused by the H5N8 virus, the national veterinary authority has reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Affecting one farm and five backyard flocks and covering six governates, a total of 1,344 birds were lost to the disease as a result of death or destruction.

Russia’s agriculture ministry has informed the OIE about two new HPAI outbreaks involving the H5N8 virus variant. Both were in the south-west of the country - in the Mari El Republic, where there was a previous recent outbreak, and for the first time in Samara oblast. A total of 100 poultry were involved in the two outbreaks.

Low-pathogenic virus detected in Libyan poultry
Under a United Nations’ Food and Agriculture (FAO) project, general surveillance of birds for avian flu has been carried out for some time. According to an OIE report, a low-pathogenic avian flu virus of the H7 has been detected in one sample from a small poultry farm in the Abuzian area in the Western Mountains…