FAO warns of rising avian flu threat in Asia-Pacific region – WATTAgNet Industry News & Trends

Concerned about a recent jump in human infections with influenza viruses of avian origin in the region, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) is calling for urgent action in the Asia-Pacific area in order to create a holistic approach to disease management.

Stressing the need for a united response, it wants to see surveillance systems implemented, capacity building in diagnostics, and full and timely data sharing between sectors. In particular, the agency is looking for full genome sequencing in order to monitor the spread of the virus, and its evolution.

Governments, international organizations, and the private sector must collaborate and share information transparently and in a timely manner to devise effective containment strategies, FAO said.

Specifically for the regional poultry sector, the agency described strengthening of biosecurity measures as imperative, along with effective vaccination strategy.

It also called for awareness to be created among health providers and the general public in its 13member nations in the Asia-Pacific regarding the human health risks from sick and dead poultry.

In recent years, few infections in people were reported in this region, according to the FAO.

However, over the past few months, 13 cases have been recorded in Cambodia, and others in China and Vietnam. This is a cause for concern for the FAO, along with the emergence of a new strain of avian influenza(A) virus.

Since late 2023, we have observed a rise in human cases and the virus spreading to new animal species, said Kachen Wongsathapornchai, who is Regional Manager of FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD). The emergence of novelA/H5N1 strains, which are more easily transmissible, increases the pandemic threat.

For the FAO, the threat is exacerbated by the ever wider geographical spread of the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus serotype, and its ability to infect new species of wild and domestic animals. Furthermore, there are particular additional risks in some regions, including generally low levels of biosecurity in the Greater Mekong sub-region, Indonesia, and the Philippines. While some other nations may be insufficiently prepared for the return of avian influenza, others including Bangladesh, India, and Nepal are already battling to control outbreaks, says the FAO.

Kachen called for the region to take immediate coordinated preventative measures.

Supporting this call for action is the latest news from the World Health Organization.

Its latest report on the avian influenza(A) situation in the Western Pacific Region includes a further human case in China reported in the period July19-25. A 70-year-old woman in Anhui province who became unwell in mid-June tested positive for the H5N6 virus variant. She died in early July.

This patient was the 93rdconfirmed infection with this particular virus type in the region since 2014, and the 57thto die.

Latest report from the dedicated Australian government websiteconfirms a total of 16 HPAI outbreaks in poultry linked to viruses of the H7 family. The first cases were confirmed in mid-May, and no new cases have been confirmed over the past week.

Of these outbreaks, eight occurred at premises in the state of Victoria, six in New South Wales, and two in the Australian Capital Territory(ACT). All premises have been depopulated.

According to earlier notifications to the World Organisation for Animal Health(WOAH), four of the flocks were described as backyard or hobby flocks, and tested positive for the H7N8virus variant as have those at four commercial farms. At another seven farms, presence of the H7N3virus was confirmed, while the H7N9serotype was found at just one farm.

Total number of poultry impacted by the ongoing disease waves in Australia has just passed 1.8million.

In the Philippines, there has also been no change in the HPAI situation, according to the latest update from the Department of Agriculture(DA) Bureau of Animal Industry. As of July19, there are just three ongoing outbreaks in the country. All involve the H5N1 virus serotype, and are affecting three poultry farms in the province of Pampanga in the Central Luzon region.

View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation in poultry, and on disease developments in the U.S.

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FAO warns of rising avian flu threat in Asia-Pacific region - WATTAgNet Industry News & Trends