The counter of registered ASF cases found in wild boars has risen to 4,326 this week. Seven new cases were found in Brandenburg state and specifically in the Spree-Neisse regions. The rest in the state of Saxony and more specifically in the region of Bautzen.
Since August 2022, Russia has been facing an increasing number of outbreaks of African swine fever. Large farms, such as Russia's largest pork producer Miratorg, are said to be particularly affected. Several thousand pigs have already been culled. One possible cause is the rise of keeping some pigs in the backyard as a result of the poor economic situation due to Western sanctions.
Since the second half of this year, ASF is again spreading significantly in Russia. According to Pig Progress, the dreaded virus mainly affects larger pig farms. In early August, Russia's Rosselhoznadzor veterinary service recorded an ASF outbreak at a large pig farm. Since then, about 40 new cases have been recorded.
Wageningen Bioveterinary Research is investigating the efficacy of three vaccines against bird flu. 'Before vaccines can be used in poultry farming, more information is needed on their effectiveness,' explains WBVR bird flu expert Nancy Beerens.
The first vaccine trial will take place at the research facilities in WBVR's High Containment Unit. It is a study being conducted jointly with Utrecht University, Wageningen University & Research, Royal GD and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
Vaccines from three different pharmacists are being tested. This first trial, which has already started, is taking place with groups of 10 laying hens. They will be vaccinated as day-old chickens (with two types of vaccines) or at two weeks of age
When the hens are eight weeks old, half of them are deliberately infected with the bird flu virus. The hens then reunite. See more: https://www.nieuweoogst.nl/nieuws/2022/09/29/wageningen-test-drie-vaccins-tegen-vogelgriep
Bird flu has been with us for some time, but now, for the first time, seabirds have also been affected by the virus. Researchers are worried because the spread of the virus is rapid and a mutation could become dangerous to humans.
The national caging and fencing obligation for keepers of poultry and other bird species will be reintroduced throughout the Netherlands. This was reported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in a letter to the Lower House. Due to the growing number of bird flu cases, an obligation to keep birds indoors was introduced in October last year. This was partially withdrawn at the end of June 2022 in areas where at that time there had been no outbreaks since May and where no infected wild birds were found. Nevertheless, the virus continued to circulate mainly in larger poultry farms and many animals were killed on and near farms where infections were found.
Now it is being reintroduced nationwide because of an increase in the number of infections in September and fears of more infections in wild birds. The measure to keep birds indoors applies not only to farms but also to hobby keepers.
"I realise this is yet another setback for the poultry farmers concerned," said agriculture minister Adema. "The high number of infections unfortunately makes it clear that extra precaution is needed." See Parliamentary letter:
Eand employee of a poultry farm in the Spanish province of Guadalajara has fallen ill after being exposed to the bird flu virus.
An increased mortality among hens was detected at the poultry farm in September 2022. When bird flu was actually detected, the more than 600,000 laying hens were culled, Spanish news agency EFE reported.According to Spanish media, the man did not need to be hospitalised and is now no longer positive. The other employees of the poultry farm tested negative. This is the is first human bird flu case in Spain. In the UK, a hobby farmer became infected with the bird flu virus in early January 2022.
