Scotland's chief veterinary officer announced H5N1 avian flu outbreak in Scotland

chicken

In an update yesterday to an earlier statement, agricultural officials in Scotland said initial tests identified H5N1 avian flu as the cause of an H5 outbreak at a poultry farm in Fife, in the country's east central region.


Officials said results so far indicate that the H5N1 strain is very mild, though tests are under way to further characterize the virus. Sheila Voas, DVM, Scotland's chief veterinary officer, said in the statement that the strain isn't the same as the H5N1 virus infecting birds in Asia and north Africa. "Further tests are currently being carried out to confirm this, but in the meantime, we are taking no chances."

So far it's not clear if the strain is the same as a new highly pathogenic Eurasian H5N1 strain that was recently identified in some of France's outbreaks.

Steps are already being taken to curb the spread of the disease, including a human cull of birds on the broiler breeder farm near the town of Dunfermline, according to the statement. Authorities are also examining the source of the outbreak, but the government added that it is normal for avian flu viruses to circulate in wild birds, especially waterfowl.

The government urged poultry producers to stay vigilant for signs of the disease and to maintain good biosecurity at their facilities.

Update on France's outbreaks

Elsewhere in Europe, France's agriculture ministry today released an update on the country's outbreaks as of Jan 7, according to an official statement translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary, an infectious disease news blog.

The number of outbreaks stayed the same, at 67. Overall, it said there have been 129 suspected outbreaks, with 67 testing positive for highly pathogenic H5 strains, 45 negative, and 3 still under investigation. So far the neuraminidase is undetermined in 20 of the positive findings, but H5N9 was the most common subtype, followed by H5N1.

The outbreaks in France began in November and have all occurred in the southwestern corner of the country.