28.09.2012

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie

Outbreak in Toscana region
• 11/08/2012: a poultry veterinarian notified a suspected case of avian influenza in a backyard flock in the Municipality of Prato (Toscana region).

Flock size:
• 1 turkey
• 12 ducks
• 34 geese
• 100 laying hens
• 21 guinea fowls
• Abnormal mortality (around 30%)
• 04/09/2012: LPAI virus, subtype H5N2.
 

Outbreak in Lombardia region
• 30/08/2012: a poultry veterinarian notified a suspected case of avian influenza in a meat turkey farm, containing 15000 male turkeys of 84 day old, in the Municipality of Paderno Franciacorta –Brescia (Lombardia region).
• Birds showed respiratory symptoms and a drop of feed consumption.
• 31/08/2012: confirmation of virological positivity (PCR) to LPAI virus, subtype H5N2.
• 3/09/2012: virological positivity in a turkey farm (rearing 11700 birds) located 200m from the first farm. Blood samples were collected in all the sheds of the first farm. Results show that animals were in a seroconversion stage (3 positive sheds and 1negative shed)
• Second farm results negative to serological tests.
• 06/09/2012: stamping out was starting.
• 07/09/2012: birds were stamped out.

 

The virus: A/turkey/Italy/12VIR6607-5/2012
AI virus H5N2 has been circulating in rural sector since 2011
• Results of phylogenetic analysis of HA gene:
• 99.6% homology with the strain A/turkey/Italy/12VIR6651-1/2012 (second outbreak in Brescia) e A/turkey/Italy/12VIR6652 (outbreak in Prato).
• 98,9% homology with the strain A/chicken/Italy/11VIR7548/2011 (outbreak in Napoli)
• 97.2% homology with the strain A/duck/Italy/12VIR/606-1 e A/duck/Italy/12VIR/606-2 (outbreak in Forlì).