Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 in Europe

Please find link to a short Q&A document as a result of Scottish Ministers declaring an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone covering the whole of Scotland on 6 December 2016. This may help you in answering any questions you or your customers may have.

In addition, a biosecurity guidance document “Biosecurity and preventing disease in poultry and captive birds within a Prevention Zone” has also been prepared. Both documents can be found at www.gov.scot/avianinfluenza

Since the update on 1st December, reports of H5N8 HPAI in wild birds, poultry and captive birds are continuing and one new EU country has reported disease (Romania), while France is now reporting outbreaks in the SW region.

In addition, new cases in Europe (Serbia), North Africa (Tunisia) and further spread in Israel and Iran suggests that this epizootic is continuing and spreading. There have now been 101 outbreaks in domestic poultry, an increase of 66 since our last update (in France, Hungary, Germany, Netherlands and Poland), seven in captive birds (Denmark, Germany and Netherlands), and multiple reports in wild birds.

The actual number of wild bird cases is less important than seeing the distribution of the regions and species affected as the denominator data are not known (see map, disease outbreak information available on OIE WAHIS website and the European Commission website). The UK has not reported any cases or outbreaks.

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