Qinghai H5N1 Suspected In France
Recombinomics Commentary
July 3, 2007
Three swans found dead in eastern France may have been killed by the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, the French Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.
"The first results show a suspicion of bird flu. These tests are in the process of being confirmed at the reference laboratory of the French food safety agency AFSSA
The above comments strongly suggest H5N1 has been detected in France. H5N1 in France was not unexpected. There have been confirmed outbreaks of H5N1 in wild birds in two regions of Germany (Bavaria and Saxony), as well as two farms in northern Czech Republic, as well as a swan in southern Czech Republic.
Sequence analysis of the H5N1 from outbreaks in Germany indicated the outbreaks were distinct, and the relationships to the H5N1 on the farms in the Czech Republic were also distinct. The reported differences in the four regions of Germany and the Czech Republic suggested that H5N1 in wild birds in western Europe was widespread.
The German isolates were most closely related to isolates from Tyva and Mongolia. One year ago, there were massive infections in these two regions, suggesting that H5N1 would migrate into Western Europe. Although there have been not reports of infections in western Europe for the past year, the recent outbreaks were largely in non-migratory birds at a time when wild bird migration is minimal.
These data strongly suggest that H5N1 has been circulation in Western Europe for the past year, but has not been detected by current surveillance.
The surveillance deficiencies have been evident since the fall of 2005 when H5N1 moved into the region. Although it was detected in Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Egypt in 2005, no country in western Europe reported H5N1 infections. After fatal cases in Turkey were confirmed in early 2006, countries in Western Europe began to report H5n1 in wild birds. Although over 700 wild bird H5N1 infections were report, no country in western Europe reported H5N1 in live wild birds.
The latest suspect infections in France as well as the confirmed H5N1 in June in Germany and the Czech Republic signal a need for an upgraded surveillance program that has increased sensitivity. It is likely that H5N1 is present in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, but the surveillance programs in most countries fail to detect the circulating H5N1.
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