Germany has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, H5N8 in fattening turkeys in North East Germany (Mecklenburg - Western Pomerania). Increased mortality was observed in one of the six sheds of 15 week old birds for fattening (total number of turkeys on the premises ~ 31,000 of which each shed contained 5,000).

1. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Veterinary & Science Policy Advice Team - International Disease Monitoring
1
Preliminary Outbreak Assessment
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 in turkeys in
Germany
06 November 2014 Ref: VITT/1200 H5N8 HPAI in Germany
Disease Report
Germany has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, H5N8 in fattening
turkeys in North East Germany (Mecklenburg Western Pomerania) (see map; OIE, 2014).
Increased mortality was observed in one of the six sheds of 15 week old birds for fattening
(total number of turkeys on the premises ~ 31,000 of which each shed contained 5,000).
Disease control measures
have been implemented
including 3km and 10km
protection and surveillance
zones in line with Directive
2005/94/EC and the birds in
the affected shed as well as
all other poultry in the
protection zone have been
destroyed. There have been
no recent traded
consignments from the
affected areas to the UK or
other Member States.
Situation Assessment
During the past year, HPAI H5N8 has been reported from several countries in the Far
East, in Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and China (near the border with the
Democratic Republic of Korea). In ROK, in excess of thirty five outbreaks have been
reported since early 2014 from commercial poultry (principally breeding ducks but also
chickens) and additional detections in wild waterfowl, resulting in the destruction of over 12
million poultry. In China, positive samples were found at a market during routine
surveillance under the national plan. Japan reported just a single outbreak.

2. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Veterinary & Science Policy Advice Team - International Disease Monitoring
2
Genetic characterisation of the viruses from both poultry and wild birds in ROK and China
revealed there was very high sequence similarity with the haemagglutinin (HA) gene of
H5N1 HPAI viruses isolated
in China in 2011 and
clustered within clade 2.3.4.6
indicating this newly emerged
virus has derived following
reassortment of H5N1 HPAI
with other influenza viruses
co-circulating in avian
populations (Ku et al 2014;
Lee et al 2014; Wu et al
2014). The predicted putative
binding to host cell receptors
is similar to H5N1 HPAI,
preferentially binding the
‘avian’ receptor. However
although no human infections with this virus have been reported to date, the potential risk
to public health cannot be ignored.
Wild Waterfowl and commercial ducks have been found to harbour the virus in ROK (Lee
et al, 2014), where the infection caused depression, egg drop, some neurological signs
and a slight increase in mortality. There is currently no evidence for the virus being present
in wild waterfowl in Europe, although this possibility cannot be ruled out. In the absence of
any other epidemiological explanation, virus introduction into Germany via wild birds
appears highly plausible.
Conclusion
This is the season for increased wild bird migration especially waterfowl as well as
seasonal poultry production and therefore there is an increased risk of incursion of any
notifiable avian disease into the poultry sector through direct and indirect contact with wild
birds and / or poor biosecurity. The report in North East Germany at this time of year
therefore does increase the level of risk of incursion to the UK, although it is difficult to
predict quantitatively with any precise confidence without data on any potential reservoir
species and current wild bird demographics. However current UK wild bird surveillance
targeting higher risk species for H5N1 HPAI infection is aligned with current knowledge
from the Far East on carrier populations for H5N8.
We will continue to report on the situation. We would like to remind all poultry keepers to
maintain high standards of biosecurity, remain vigilant and report any suspect clinical signs
promptly.

3. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Veterinary & Science Policy Advice Team - International Disease Monitoring
3
Authors
Jonathan Smith
Professor Ian Brown
Dr Helen Roberts
References
Ku KB, Park EH, Yum J, Kim JA, Oh SK, Seo SH. Highly pathogenic avian influenza
A(H5N8) virus from waterfowl, South Korea, 2014 [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis [Internet].
2014 Sep [06/11/2014]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2009.140390
Lee YJ, Kang HM, Lee EK, Song BM, Jeong J, Kwon YK, et al. Novel reassortant
influenza A(H5N8) viruses, South Korea, 2014 [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis [Internet]. 2014
Jun [06/11/2014]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2006.140233
OIE (2014) Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus. Immediate Notification report Report
Ref 14-015-00003; Ref OIE 16474 Report Date 06/11/2014.
http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/temp/reports/en_imm_0000016474_20141106_172613.pdf
Wu H, Peng X, Xu L, Jin C, Cheng L, Lu X, Novel Reassortant Influenza A(H5N8) Viruses
in Domestic Ducks, Eastern China. Emerg Infect Dis. 2014;20:1315–8.
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