April 24, 2012

Bhutan experiences another HPAI outbreak

Bhutanese authorities have reported fresh outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu at two villages in Mongar.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received Follow-up Report No. 6 on April 20. The outbreak has affected backyard free-ranging chicken in two villages, Yangbari and Patong.

Out of 265 susceptible chickens, 70 cases were reported. The 70 chickens were reported dead.

One carcass tested positive to real-time PCR on 5 April. However, subsequently 16 samples from the affected and nearby villages tested negative to H5N1.

Clinical and laboratory surveillance within a three kilometres radius showed no new cases. Therefore, at this stage, this could be a suspected H5N1 outbreak.

The source of the outbreak remains inconclusive.