Since 16 October 2020, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses have been reported in several EU/EEA countries – Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden as well as in the United Kingdom.
This report aims to identify and evaluate the operational challenges each country is facing in implementing vector control and to prioritise the needs to be addressed in order to facilitate national public health authorities in developing and/or enhancing their national WNV response capacities.
Between 16 May and 15 August 2020, seven highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N8) virus outbreaks were reported in Europe in poultry, with one outbreak reported in Bulgaria (n=1) and six in Hungary (n=6) and one low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A(H5N3) virus outbreak was reported in poultry in Italy.
Between 16 February and 15 May 2020, 290 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus outbreaks were reported in Europe in poultry (n=287), captive birds (n=2) and wild birds (n=1) in Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary and Poland and two low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A(H7N1) virus outbreaks were reported in poultry in Italy.
Between 16 November 2019 and 15 February 2020, 36 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N8) virus outbreaks were reported in Europe in poultry (n=34), captive birds (n=1) and wild birds (n=2), in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Germany, Czechia and Ukraine, one HPAI outbreak caused by a simultaneous infection with A(H5N2) and A(H5N8) was reported in poultry in Bulgaria, and two low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A(H5) virus outbreaks were reported in poultry in the United Kingdom and in Denmark.
This scientific report provides an overview of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus outbreaks detected in poultry, captive and wild birds and noteworthy outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus in poultry and captive birds, as well as human cases due to avian influenza (AI) virus, reported in and outside Europe between 16 August and 15 November 2019.