OIE: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, France

Information received on 28/11/2016 from Dr Loic Evain, Directeur Général adjoint, CVO, Direction générale de l´alimentation, Ministère de l´Agriculture, de l´Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt, Paris, France

Summary

Report type	Immediate notification
Date of start of the event	17/11/2016
Date of confirmation of the event	26/11/2016
Report date	28/11/2016
Date submitted to OIE	28/11/2016
Reason for notification	New strain of a listed disease in the country
Causal agent	Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype	H5N8
Nature of diagnosis	Clinical, Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to	a defined zone within the country

New outbreaks

Summary of outbreaks

Total outbreaks: 1

Outbreak Location

PAS-DE-CALAIS ( Marck, Marck )

Total animals affected

Species	Susceptible	Cases	Deaths	Destroyed	Slaughtered
Eurasian Wigeon:Anatidae (Anas penelope)	75	25	25	0	0

Outbreak statistics

Species	Apparent morbidity rate	Apparent mortality rate	Apparent case fatality rate	Proportion susceptible animals lost*
Eurasian Wigeon:Anatidae (Anas penelope)	33.33%	33.33%	100.00%	33.33%

* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter;

Epidemiology

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection

Contact with wild species

Epidemiological comments

This notification concerns call-ducks; these birds are not included in the definition of poultry as per the Chapter 10.4 of the OIE Terrestrial Code. Hence, this outbreak should not trigger poultry trade restrictions and does not affect France status regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). For the record, unless something new happens, France will recover its status of a country free of HPAI on December 3rd, 2016.
As the episode of mortality in wildlife happened in a zone where the risk had been considered as high (Ministerial Decree from November 16th, 2016, qualifying the risk level as regard to avian influenza), poultry farms have been subjected to extra biosecurity measures and containment ever since.
An epidemiological investigation was performed and surveillance measures have been strengthened around the outbreak.

Control measures

Measures applied	Screening Disinfection / Disinfestation Stamping out Official disposal of carcasses, by-products and waste Vaccination prohibited No treatment of affected animals
Measures to be applied	No other measures

Diagnostic test results

Laboratory name and type

ANSES Reference National Laboratory, Ploufragan ( National laboratory )

Tests and results

Species	Test	Test date	Result
Eurasian Wigeon	real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR)	26/11/2016	Positive
Eurasian Wigeon	virus sequencing	26/11/2016	Positive

Future Reporting

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