Information received on 27/01/2021 from Dr Martin Blake, Chief Veterinary Officer, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Agriculture House, Dublin, Ireland
Summary
Report type
Follow-up report No. 8
Date of start of the event
29/10/2020
Date of confirmation of the event
10/11/2020
Report date
27/01/2021
Date submitted to OIE
27/01/2021
Reason for notification
Recurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence
06/03/2018
Manifestation of disease
Clinical disease
Causal agent
Highly pathogenic influenza A virus
Serotype
H5N8
Nature of diagnosis
Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to
the whole country
Related reports
Immediate notification (10/11/2020)
Follow-up report No. 1 (10/12/2020)
Follow-up report No. 2 (12/12/2020)
Follow-up report No. 3 (13/12/2020)
Follow-up report No. 4 (23/12/2020)
Follow-up report No. 5 (08/01/2021)
Follow-up report No. 6 (19/01/2021)
Follow-up report No. 7 (22/01/2021)
Follow-up report No. 8 (27/01/2021)
New outbreaks (2)

Outbreak 1
Butlerbridge, Co. Cavan, Cavan
Date of start of the outbreak
15/01/2021
Outbreak status
Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit
Not applicable
Affected animals
Species
Susceptible
Cases
Deaths
Killed and disposed of
Slaughtered
Whooper Swan:Cygnus cygnus(Anatidae)

1
1


Affected population
On January 15th 2021, a whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus)was found dead near a riverbank.
Outbreak 2
Redcastle Pir, Co. Donegal, Donegal
Date of start of the outbreak
16/01/2021
Outbreak status
Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit
Not applicable
Affected animals
Species
Susceptible
Cases
Deaths
Killed and disposed of
Slaughtered
Whooper Swan:Cygnus cygnus(Anatidae)

1
1


Affected population
On January 16th 2021, a whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) was found dead in a coastal region.
Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 2
Total animals affected
Species
Susceptible
Cases
Deaths
Killed and disposed of
Slaughtered
Whooper Swan:Cygnus cygnus(Anatidae)

2
2


Outbreak statistics
Species
Apparent morbidity rate
Apparent mortality rate
Apparent case fatality rate
Proportion susceptible animals lost*
Whooper Swan:Cygnus cygnus(Anatidae)
**
**
100.00%
**
*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
Unknown or inconclusive
Epidemiological comments
All inconclusive pathogenicity results returned in the avian influenza H5N8 follow up reports relating to this event so far, have been due to low viral loads in the birds sampled. However, highly pathogenic avian influenza is suspected.

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
Irish Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (National laboratory)
Whooper Swan
real-time PCR
21/01/2021
Positive
Irish Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (National laboratory)
Whooper Swan
virus sequencing
27/01/2021
Positive
Irish Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (National laboratory)
Whooper Swan
virus sequencing
27/01/2021
Positive
irish Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (National laboratory)
Whooper Swan
real-time PCR
21/01/2021
Positive
Future Reporting
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.