Avian H5 viruses have spread rapidly globally according to a report by the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).
The first Eurasian Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N8 was reported in January 2014 in countries such as South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Italy by December. A H5N2, a reassortant virus, outbreak was reported in Canada in November.
Since the outbreak of H5N2 in Canada, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior along with state agencies have increased the surveillance of poultry flocks, hunter-harvested wild birds and wild bird die-offs along the Canadian border. This surveillance might provide a better understanding into the timing and route of the H5 viruses.
The circulation of these viruses may have negative consequences for U.S. poultry and wildlife rehabilitation centers.
Killing off infected wild birds or disturbing them is not enough to stop the H5 viruses. Instead, there are precautions that can be taken to minimize infections. They include:
- minimizing the contact between poultry, wild birds and objects that may spread the virus.
- taking precaution handling potentially infected carcasses by hunters.
Analysis of H5 viruses in the United States has shown:
- Eurasian lineage of avian H5N8 successfully entered North America
- the introduction to North America is independent from the introductions to Europe.
- the length of circulation of H5N8 in Pacific Flyway is not known.
Despite the concern for wild birds, H5 viruses are not known to cause infections in humans.
