Information received on 05/02/2021 from Mr Hans Wyss, Chief Veterinary Officer, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, LIEBEFELD BERNE, Switzerland
Summary
Report type
Immediate notification
Date of start of the event
01/02/2021
Date of confirmation of the event
04/02/2021
Report date
05/02/2021
Date submitted to OIE
05/02/2021
Reason for notification
New strain of a listed disease in the country
Causal agent
Highly pathogenic influenza A virus
Serotype
H5N4
Nature of diagnosis
Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced), Necropsy
This event pertains to
the whole country
New outbreaks (1)

Outbreak 1 (SH_HPAI_2021_1)
Rhein, Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen
Date of start of the outbreak
01/02/2021
Outbreak status
Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit
Other
Affected animals
Species
Susceptible
Cases
Deaths
Killed and disposed of
Slaughtered
Yellow-legged Gull:Larus michahellis(Laridae)
1
1
0
1
0
Affected population
The sick yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) was shot on 1st of February 2021 on the bank of the river Rhein.
Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 1
Total animals affected
Species
Susceptible
Cases
Deaths
Killed and disposed of
Slaughtered
Yellow-legged Gull:Larus michahellis(Laridae)
1
1
0
1
0
Outbreak statistics
Species
Apparent morbidity rate
Apparent mortality rate
Apparent case fatality rate
Proportion susceptible animals lost*
Yellow-legged Gull:Larus michahellis(Laridae)
100.00%
0.00%
0.00%
100.00%
*Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter
Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection
Unknown or inconclusive
Epidemiological comments
Samples of the gull were sent to the National Reference Center for Poultry and Rabbit Diseases (NRGK, Zurich, Switzerland), where they tested positive for avian influenza of the subtype H5 in RT-qPCR. Confirmation and sequencing analyses were carried out at the Institute of Virology and lmmunology (IVI, Mittelh?usern, Switzerland) where highly pathogenic avian influenza of the subtype H5N4 was confirmed on 04.02.2021. It is the first confirmation of this subtype in Switzerland. However, this is the same strain already confirmed recently in the region of Lake Constance in Germany. Following confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds on the German side of Lake Constance, the FSVO and the Cantons concerned preventively established control and surveillance zones along the shores of the lake and parts of the river Rhein on 25 January 2021. A control zone of a width of 1 km was established along the shores of Lake Constance and along the shores of nearby parts of the river Rhein. In the Canton of Schaffhausen, the control zone includes almost the entire territory. Poultry in the control zone area are obliged to be kept such that contact between poultry and wild birds is prevented. The surveillance zone covers a 3 km wide zone along the shore of Lake Constance and along the shores of nearby parts of the river Rhein. In the surveillance zone poultry holders are obliged to notify veterinarians or the cantonal authorities about any suspicious symptoms of disease in poultry. The affected gull was found within the existing control zone.

Control measures
Measures applied
Surveillance within containment and/or protection zone
Zoning
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 Reference Centre for Diseases of Poultry and Rabbits (NRGK) (National laboratory)
Yellow-legged Gull
reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
04/02/2021
Positive
Future Reporting
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.