High-path avian flu found in more Indiana and Michigan birds
In the latest highly pathogenic avian flu developments, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) yesterday said samples from a third duck farm in Elkhart County were positive for avian influenza in preliminary testing.
In an email, the BOAH said the farm houses about 6,500 ducks and is near another quarantined site. It added that the control area extends slightly into Michigan’s LaGrange County.
In other developments, federal and state officials reported four more outbreaks in Michigan, three involving backyard flocks and one involving pet parrots. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported three more outbreaks in backyard poultry in three Michigan counties: Menominee in the Upper Peninsula, as well as Macomb and Livingston, near Detroit.
Also, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) yesterday said tests found highly pathogenic avian flu in domestic parrots at a home in Washtenaw County near Ann Arbor. The parrots had died from the virus. Officials said pet birds in family homes are unlikely to have contact with wild birds, and cautioned pet owners to avoid storing food and water bowls where wild birds are present. They said people should change and disinfect shoes or clothing if they have been worn off of the property.
The outbreaks are part of ongoing activity involving the Eurasian H5N1 strain, which has struck poultry in 29 states and has led to the loss of more than 28 million birds.
Indiana BOAH avian flu page
USDA APHIS poultry avian flu page
Apr 18 MDARD statement
More countries report acute hepatitis cases in children
In an update on acute hepatitis cases in children, some with liver failure and with suspected links to adenovirus infection, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today that Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain have now reported cases, and it acknowledged recent reports of cases in nine young children in Alabama.
In its initial report last week, the ECDC had issued an alert about cases in the United Kingdom.
In the update, the ECDC said investigations in the United Kingdom, where most of the cases have been reported, point to an infection cause. A continuing probe into 13 Scottish cases revealed epidemiologic links in two pairs of patients.
The ECDC said no links to COVID-19 vaccination have been found. Lab studies in Scotland’s investigation found that three children tested positive for COVID-19 and that two had been sick with COVID-19 in the past 3 months. Eleven of the 13 kids had adenovirus testing results, of which 5 were positive.
On Apr 15, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) said that, since November 2021 it has been investigating nine infections in young children from different parts of the state. The investigation revealed a possible link between hepatitis and adenovirus type 41. The ADPH issued a health alert network (HAN) notice on February 1 to look for more cases and is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a national HAN.
Apr 19 ECDC statement
Apr 15 CIDRAP News story
Apr 15 ADPH statement
