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On November 17, bird flu was found in turkeys on a farm in Skåne. The farm was quarantined, the infected birds died, and the facility was decontaminated.
The Swedish Veterinary Institute, SVA, has now discovered the same type of bird flu in a white-cheeked goose and a peregrine falcon in the municipality of Lund. Another white-cheeked goose shipped from Gotland is positive in an initial test and the investigation is ongoing.
– By reporting and submitting dead birds for examination by the public, we gain insight into the status of avian influenza infection. Although we have now found cases, it is important to continue to follow the development and we are grateful for the continued reports, says Maria Nöremark, assistant state epizootologist at SVA in a press release.
The specific virus, H5N8, it is highly contagious between birds, but there are no signs that humans may be infected, according to the SVA and the Swedish Public Health Agency. It is also very rare for humans to become infected with other avian influenza viruses.
Since 2015, the H5N8 variant bird flu has been found several times in birds in Sweden. The same variant has been found in birds in Europe since 2014.
The mortality rate of infected birds is considered to be so high that their products should not reach consumers. However, as a consumer, you can still eat eggs and poultry, writes SVA. When handling dead wild birds, always wear gloves and use good hand hygiene.
Cases of bird flu have lately had detected in several European countries and has led to extensive measures: in Germany, more than 70,000 birds have been slaughtered to eliminate the infection.
In early November, the Swedish Board of Agriculture decided protection level 2 throughout Sweden, which means, among other things, that commercial poultry must be kept indoors. The decision was preceded by SVA judging by the findings in Europe that the risk of introducing bird flu was increasing.
Based on the migration routes of the birds and the findings that have been made, SVA estimates that the infection is probably now relatively widespread among wild birds in the coastal areas of Sweden, especially along the bird routes. migratory on the east coast and southern Sweden.
It is not unlikely that more outbreaks will be detected this winter in poultry in Sweden, according to SVA. Therefore, poultry producers are asked to closely monitor the health status and inform their veterinarian of the slightest sign of increased mortality.
Read more:
190,000 chickens slaughtered after virus alarms
