Poland: new HPAI outbreaks, also in previously free province

New HPAI outbreaks, also in previously free province, associated with supplier of infected ducklings: unfortunately, in the recent days Poland witnessed several new outbreaks of H5N8 avian influenza in flocks of slaughter ducks, with 2 new regions affected. Since the disease was detected in young ducklings, no birds were moved for slaughter and no poultry slaughterhouse is infected. In total 25 HPAI outbreaks have now been reported.

Outbreak 2020/20 has been designated on a farm keeping 18.799 reproductive ducks between 1 and 130 weeks old. The farm is located in Kociołki, in the Błaszki commune, in the Sieradz district, in the Łódzkie province. This is the first HPAI outbreak in this province.

Outbreak 2020/21 was designated on the farm where 49.321 slaughter ducks were kept at the age of 10 days and 6 weeks. The farm is located in Świbie, in the Wielowieś commune, in the Gliwice district, in the Śląskie province.

small ducklings with duck mother on the grass
Beeld: ©Pexels

Outbreak 2020/22 was designated on a farm keeping 12.700 ducks for fattening at the age of 6 days and 4 weeks. The farm is located in the town of Regny, in the commune of Koluszki, in the eastern district of Łódź, in the Łódzkie province.

Outbreak 2020/23 was designated on a farm where 56.503 slaughter ducks were kept at the age of 7 and 8 days and 5 weeks. The farm is located in Skaratki, in the commune of Domaniewice, in the Łowicz district, in the Łódzkie province.

Outbreak 2020/24 has been determined on the basis of research results of 23 February 2020 on a farm where 9.046 slaughter ducks were kept at the age of 6 days. The farm is located in Barnowiec, in the commune of Dąbie, in the Koło district, in the Wielkopolskie province. On 13 January 2020 in Wielkopolskie province, in the same commune of Dąbie but different town, outbreak No. 2020/8 was designated on the farm where reproduction geese were kept.

Outbreak No. 2020/25 was designated on a farm where 4.895 slaughter ducks were kept at the age of 8 days. The farm is located in Konopnica, in the Wartkowice commune, in Podębicki district, in the Lodzkie province. The birds from this farm were not slaughtered, so no slaughterhouse is affected.

At outbreaks No. 2020/21-24 and 2020/19, the occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza coincided with the insertion of new ducklings by the same entity.

Beeld: NL embassy PL

So far 8 provinces are affected with HPAI in Poland:  Lubelskie province, Wielkopolskie province, Zachodniopomorskie province, Dolnoslaskie province, Warminsko-Mazurskie province, Slaskie province, Opolskie province and Lodzkie province.

As reported by Central Statistical Office, in 2018 poultry population in Poland was distributed mostly in Mazowieckie (23,7%), followed by Wielkopolskie (19,3%) and Łódzkie (7%) provinces.