Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) in Frozen Duck Carcasses, Germany, 2007

Abstract

Article summary line: Phylogenetic and epidemiologic evidence shows incursion of HPAIV into the food chain.

Persistence of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H7N1) in infected chickens: feather as a suitable sample for diagnosis

“…Infectious AIV has already been found in different tissues of infected chickens (Serena Beato et al, 2006;Starick & Werner, 2003;Swayne, 2007), ducks (Tumpey et al, 2002), turkeys , swans and geese (Brown et al, 2008), and detected in the muscles of infected chickens (Swayne & Beck, 2005), turkeys (Toffan et al, 2008), ducks and quails (Antarasena et al, 2006). HPAIV has also been detected in commercial frozen duck carcasses of retained slaughter batches (Harder et al, 2009), which has increased concern about the food safety of poultry products by its zoonotic implications. Similarly, the transmission of H5N1 HPAIV from infected carcasses to other animals in HPAIV-endemic areas has also been reported in different carnivores such as domestic cats (Songserm et al, 2006a) and dogs (Songserm et al, 2006b), tigers and leopards (Keawcharoen et al, 2004) and red foxes (Reperant et al, 2008).…”

Avian Influenza: Public Health and Food Safety Concerns

“…Surveillance data revealed that H5N1 HPAI virus was detected in imported frozen duck meat and on the surface and in internal contents of contaminated eggs (Tumpey et al 2002, Beato et al 2009, Harder et al 2009). Experimentally, HPAI virus was detected in breast and thigh meat, and blood and bones, as well as in eggs of HPAI virus-infected chickens (Swayne 2006).…”

Risk factors of primary introduction of highly pathogenic and low pathogenic avian influenza virus into European poultry holdings, considering at least material contaminated by wild birds and contact with wild birds

“…Waterfowl were not discussed in the analysis summarised in Table 6 which might be due to the structure of the poultry sector in those countries. However it has often been reported that ducks might not show clear clinical signs following infection with AIV, which can result in undetected infection and further spread as seen in the outbreaks originated at the slaughter house in Germany (Harder et al, 2009) and the recent HPAI subtype H5 outbreaks in France in 2016.…”

“…Introduction of infection from the abattoirs to the poultry holdings was likely via contaminated fomites, which highlighted flaws in biosecurity in the effected holdings. The contaminated meat from the abattoir in Germany was distributed to different supermarkets within the country and resulted in two further outbreaks in backyard poultry which had access to uncooked offal from the contaminated duck meat purchased at the supermarket (Harder et al, 2009) (Table 5). …”

“…Contaminated poultry meat was the source of introduction of HPAIV into a turkey holding in the UK and a duck farm in Germany (Harder et al, 2009). In both countries, the affected holdings also had an abattoir within their premises, where contaminated imported meat was either processed (the UK) or infected ducks from an undetected infected farm were slaughtered (Germany).…”