Bird flu, EFSA raises the alarm across Europe. Millions and millions of chickens are about to be culled

EFSA warns that new outbreaks of avian flu could reignite even in European countries not currently affected by the problem

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Europe is on the alert for new possible outbreaks of avian flu that risk reigniting in several countries, which in fact is already happening. The European food safety authority (EFSA) is now also warning that the problem must be taken seriously. The consequence of this situation could be the death and / or killing of thousands of wild and farm animals.

Avian influenza has recently resurfaced in countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK where over 300 cases have been reported to date. But other nations, not currently affected by outbreaks of the virus affecting chickens, turkeys, pheasants and other birds, may soon find themselves grappling with the same problem.

In the aforementioned countries thousands of animals have already been killed (as if the dramatic culling of mink across Europe was not enough for fear of the mutated Covid) but the situation could drastically get worse.

Now EFSA is also warning of the risks, which in its scientific update, drawn up in collaboration with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, highlights how the virus is advancing fast across our continent.

The document specifies that most of the cases that have occurred so far have involved wild birds but also points out that the likelihood of the virus spreading to poultry is high, which, albeit to a lesser extent, has already happened.

We also remember that the currently circulating strain of avian influenza (H5N8) is not dangerous for humans, given that the risk of transmission is very low. But even on this point, EFSA warns that:

"The evolution of these viruses must be carefully monitored to assess the real risk of the emergence of viruses transmissible to humans".

What to do? Nik Kriz, Head of the EFSA Unit "Animal and Plant Health", is convinced that:

"To prevent further escalation of these outbreaks, close collaboration between the competent authorities in animal, public, environmental and occupational health will be required, in other words a one-size-fits-all health approach (" One Health ") across Europe will be needed" .

The competent bodies of the individual nations are therefore requested to monitor the situation of wild birds and farms and to implement control measures to prevent any type of contact between humans and infected or dead birds. High-risk areas are also advised to implement the risk mitigation and biosecurity enhancement measures prescribed by the European Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1136.

On a scientific level, however, the sharing of complete sequences of the viral genome can prove to be fundamental in order to promptly identify the appearance of any genetic mutations that are dangerous for animals and / or humans.

In the meantime, EFSA's plans are already coming true. Poland Just yesterday announced the killing of over 900 hens present on a farm in the village of Wroniawy where bird flu has spread.

“It is a farm of 930.000 laying hens. A canal runs behind the farm, there are also fields nearby, with geese and other wild birds, ”the state news agency PAP said, citing local veterinary authorities.

In a previous scientific evaluation, EFSA had already warned that avian flu could spread rapidly to Western Europe, following the emergence of some outbreaks in Russia and Kazakhstan. In fact, a well-known autumn migration route for wild water birds starts from these countries, the final destination of which is Europe.

Source: Efsa/Reuters