H5N2 detected in a broiler farm in Yunlin; control and monitoring launched

Yunlin County proactively reported that a chicken farm had tested positive for H5N2 virus nucleic acid, which attracted the high attention of the Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine of the Council of Agriculture. On the 10th, an epidemiological investigation was launched and regulatory monitoring was initiated. The Council of Agriculture's Plant and Animal Health Inspection and Quarantine Bureau emphasized that H5N2 will not cause human disease or affect human health.

Yunlin County proactively reported that a chicken farm had tested positive for H5N2 virus nucleic acid. The Council of Agriculture issued a statement emphasizing that H5N2 will not cause human disease or affect human health.

Huang Guoqing, deputy director of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine of the Council of Agriculture, pointed out that on the 8th of this month, the Yunlin County Livestock Disease Control Center received a report from a veterinarian of the office under its jurisdiction that chickens in a chicken farm showed symptoms suspected of avian influenza. On the same day (8), in order to identify the cause of the disease, movement control, clinical visits and sampling operations were immediately carried out on the farm. It was found that some chickens showed clinical symptoms and abnormal deaths. The samples collected were sent to the Animal Health Center for testing according to standard testing procedures, and the H5N2 virus nucleic acid was confirmed on the 9th.

The institute is currently conducting further sequence analysis and pathogenicity tests to determine its high or low pathogenicity. In addition, the local animal quarantine agency has simultaneously launched clinical inspections and epidemiological investigations on poultry farms within a 3-kilometer radius of the farm. So far, the poultry in the surrounding farms are in good health and no other infectious cases have been found.

Deputy Director Huang Guoqing called on operators to strengthen entry and exit control and disinfection of personnel and vehicles in order to effectively prevent the risk of avian influenza, and thoroughly clean and disinfect poultry houses, transport vehicles (collection or chicken catching vehicles, feed trucks, chemical processing vehicles, etc.) and transport vehicles (transport cages, egg boxes and egg trays) to prevent avian influenza from being transmitted through biological vectors. In addition, because the avian influenza virus is very sensitive to heat and disinfectants, if poultry operators cooperate at the same time and strengthen national disinfection work every Wednesday, the chance of an epidemic can be effectively reduced.

At the same time, according to literature and statements from the World Health Organization, H5N2 will not cause human disease or affect human health. All legally registered poultry slaughterhouses in the country have resident slaughter hygiene inspection veterinarians and personnel to strictly carry out pre-slaughter, post-slaughter inspections and related testing work. Poultry meat marked with the CAS meat seal has passed the government's slaughter hygiene inspection and can be eaten by the public with confidence.

In addition, the avian influenza virus has weak resistance to the external environment and is quite sensitive to heat, acid and disinfectants. It can be killed by heating at 100°C for 1 minute. Cooking poultry meat, eggs or their by-products does not pose a risk of infection to humans, and there is no concern about hygiene and safety.