Avian influenza epidemic of ‘unprecedented’ scale

With 5,300 viruses detectedhighly pathogenic avian influenza (AIHP) in 36 countriesEuropean Unionthe European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, the 2021-2022 pandemic is “the largest ever in Europe”, the European Food Safety Authority reports (Financial Supervisory Authority) on 30 June 2022.

on only farmer Poultry 2398 Role epidemics Bird flu has been recognized. This led toslaughter More than 46 million birds are in affected establishments. More than half of poultry outbreaks in Europe were due to secondary spread, infected poultry that had contaminated other poultry farms, according to the IFSA.

> To read also: Sector, “serious shortage” of ducklings after bird flu (07/07/2022)

persistence in wild birds

in Franceas of June 23, 2022, Ministry of Agriculture He counted 1,378 families in breeding during the 2021-2022 season, which lasts until July 31. According to the Animal Health Epidemiological Surveillance Platform (ESA), the last local case dates back to May 15, 2022, on a farm located in the Lot-et-Garonne department.

However, the highly virulent avian influenza virus has not said its last word. On the northern coast of France, cumulative deaths in’Wild birds Free since May 11, 2022, especially on gulls,” according to reports ESA . ​​platform. For its part, IFSA considers that the persistence of the highly virulent avian influenza virus “suggests that it could become endemic in wild bird populations in Europe”.

> To read also: Animal and wild bird health “highly contaminated” with bird flu (06/30/2022)