18.11.2016

On 27 October 2016, the Hungarian authorities reported the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)virus A(H5N8) in a wild swan. Further notifications of HPAI A(H5N8) viruses detected in wild birds and poultry holdings have been made recently by seven additional European countries. Austria, Hungary and Germany reported outbreaks in poultry and detections in wild birds. Croatia, Denmark, Poland and Switzerland reported infection in wild birds only, while the Netherlands detected HPAI A(H5N8) in wild birds and birds in a zoo. Outside of Europe, India and Israel are currently reporting outbreaks in birds while South Korea, Taiwan and the Russian Federation reported outbreaks earlier this year. Culling of the affected poultry in European countries is ongoing or completed. This is the second time this virus has been introduced into Europe via the autumn migration of wild birds, with an increased mortality in wild birds being observed in 2016 compared with 2014/2015. Preliminary genetic analyses indicates that these viruses associated with the recent incursions are closely related to those that previously appeared in 2014/2015 but form a distinct genetic cluster.
To date, no human infections with this virus have ever been reported world-wide and the risk of zoonotic transmission to the general public in EU/EEA countries is considered to be very low. The full genome sequences of several recent HPAI A(H5N8) viruses showed that these viruses to date are still essentially bird viruses without any specific increased affinity for humans. However, given that the virus with the HA gene has evolved from the widely circulating A(H5N1) viruses, people in direct contact with or handling diseased birds or poultry and their carcasses (e.g. hunters, farmers,veterinarians and labourers involved in the culling and rendering) might be at risk of infection.