Summary
Report type: immediate notification
Date of start of the event: 7 Mar 2021
Date of confirmation of the event: 8 Mar 2021
Reason for notification: recurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 8 Nov 2020
Manifestation of disease: Clinical disease
Causal agent: highly pathogenic influenza A virus
Serotype: H5N8
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory, necropsy
This event pertains to the whole country.

New outbreaks (1)
Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 1
Outbreak location: Abdali, Al Jahrah
Date of start of the outbreak: 8 Mar 2021
Outbreak status: ongoing
Epidemiological unit: Backyard
Total animals affected:
Species / Susceptible / Cases / Deaths / Killed and disposed of /
Slaughtered/Killed for commercial use / Vaccinated
Birds / 7000 / 200 / 1900 / 5100 / 0 / 0
Affected population: Commercial poultry (parent breeder stock)

Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: unknown or
inconclusive

Epidemiological comments: During ongoing clinical surveillance, birds
kept in a commercial poultry farm (parent stock) showed clinical signs
consistent with avian influenza; appropriate specimens were collected
from live and dead birds, tested in the national laboratory, and
confirmed positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8.
Stamping out policy adopted; dead and humanly killed birds were deeply
buried with appropriate disinfection procedures. Outbreak active
clinical and serological surveillance enhanced according to the OIE
Terrestrial Code, Chapter 10.4, Article 10.4.27 to 10.4.33 and Chapter
1.4 on Animal Health Surveillance.

Control measures
Measures applied in domestic birds: movement control inside the
country, surveillance outside containment and/or protection zone,
surveillance within containment and/or protection zone, traceability,
quarantine, screening, official destruction of animal products,
official disposal of carcasses, by-products, and waste, stamping out,
disinfection, ante and post-mortem inspections.

Measures applied in wild birds: control of wildlife reservoirs,
surveillance outside containment and/or protection zone

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type / Species / Test / Test date / Result
Central Veterinary and Research Laboratory (national laboratory) /
birds / reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) / 9
Mar 2020 / positive

Future reporting
The event is continuing.