USDA confirms highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in a wild mallard duck in Alaska

[Shiloh]

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wir...d-flu-41677638

Alaska Identifies First Case of H5N2 Bird Flu
By The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ? Aug 26, 2016, 3:35 PM ET

The bird flu strain that wiped out millions of turkeys and chickens in the Midwest last year has been found in Alaska for the first time.

State health officials say a positive sample of a highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of avian flu came from a mallard duck. It was among wild bird samples collected during a banding project at a Fairbanks area waterfowl refuge earlier this month...

[Pathfinder]

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in a Wild Mallard Duck in Alaska

Published: Aug 26, 2016

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The United States Department of Agriculture?s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a wild mallard duck from a state wildlife refuge near Fairbanks, Alaska. CDC considers the risk to the general public from these HPAI H5 infections to be low. No human infections with Eurasian H5 viruses have occurred in the United States. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including HPAI.
H5N2 HPAI has NOT been found in the U.S. ? in either wild or commercial birds ? since June 2015. However, anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. To facilitate such a review, a biosecurity self-assessment and educational materials can be found at http://www.uspoultry.org/animal_husbandry/intro.cfm

The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations. The wild mallard duck was captured and a sample tested as part of ongoing wild bird surveillance. Since July 1, 2016, USDA and its partners have tested approximately 4,000 samples, with a goal to collect approximately 30,000 samples before July 1, 2017. Approximately 45,500 samples were tested during wild bird surveillance from July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016.

Since wild birds can be infected with these viruses without appearing sick, people should minimize direct contact with wild birds by using gloves. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds. Hunters should dress game birds in the field whenever possible and practice good biosecurity to prevent any potential disease spread. Biosecurity information is available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publicati...ai_hunters.pdf

In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA?s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Additional background
Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese and guinea fowl) and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or ?H? proteins, of which there are 16 (H1?H16), and neuraminidase or ?N? proteins, of which there are 9 (N1?N9). Many different combinations of ?H? and ?N? proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and can be further broken down into different strains. AI viruses are further classified by their pathogenicity (low or high)? the ability of a particular virus strain to produce disease in domestic chickens.

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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/new...a-08%2Fhpai-ak

[Pathfinder]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza, United States of America

Information received on 26/08/2016 from Dr John Clifford, Official Delegate, Chief Trade Advisor, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, United States of America

Summary Report type Immediate notification Date of start of the event 12/08/2016 Date of confirmation of the event 25/08/2016 Report date 26/08/2016 Date submitted to OIE 26/08/2016 Reason for notification Reoccurrence of a listed disease Date of previous occurrence 24/03/2016 Manifestation of disease Sub-clinical infection Causal agent Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus Serotype H5N2 Nature of diagnosis Laboratory (advanced) This event pertains to a defined zone within the country

New outbreaks (1)

Outbreak 1 Fairbanks North Star Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, ALASKA Date of start of the outbreak 12/08/2016 Outbreak status Continuing (or date resolved not provided) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered Mallard:Anas platyrhynchos(Anatidae) Affected population Wild mallard duck

Summary of outbreaks Total outbreaks: 1 Total animals affected Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered Mallard:Anas platyrhynchos(Anatidae) ** Outbreak statistics Species Apparent morbidity rate Apparent mortality rate Apparent case fatality rate Proportion susceptible animals lost* Mallard:Anas platyrhynchos(Anatidae) ** ** ** ** *Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter **Not calculated because of missing information

Epidemiology Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection Contact with wild species Epidemiological comments The sample, from a wild mallard duck, was collected during a live bird banding program at a wildlife refuge in Alaska. Genome sequencing results show that the Alaska isolate is an Eurasian/American (EA/AM) H5N2 HPAI strain. The partial genome fragments that have been analyzed thus far are >99% similar to the virus isolated from a northern pintail duck in Washington State in December 2014. The H5N2 outbreak viruses from 2015 were all >99% similar to the northern pintail index case (A/Northern pintail/Washington/40964/2014 H5N2). Efforts to obtain sequence data for the full genome are underway. This is the first detection of HPAI in a wild bird this year. This detection of HPAI (EA/AM) H5N2 virus in a wild bird is NOT associated with any commercial poultry in the United States.

Control measures Measures applied Vaccination prohibited No treatment of affected animals Measures to be applied No other measures

Diagnostic test results Laboratory name and type Species Test Test date Result National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) (National laboratory) Mallard gene sequencing 25/08/2016 Positive National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) (National laboratory) Mallard real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) 25/08/2016 Positive

Future Reporting The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

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http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Reviewreport/Review?page_refer=MapFullEventReport&reportid=20837