Avian influenza in Poland

• Authors: Krzysztof Śmietanka , Zenon Minta
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Poland has experienced four episodes of avian influenza (AI) outbreaks over the past two decades. The first epidemic was caused by a low pathogenicity (LPAIV) H7N7 subtype and occurred in fattening and breeder turkeys in 1995. Two waves of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) took place in 2006 and 2007. In spring 2006, 64 cases of the H5N1 virus were detected, mostly in mute swans. In December 2007, ten outbreaks of H5N1 HPAI were detected in commercial poultry (n=9) and wild birds kept in captivity (n=1). The outbreaks in 2006 and 2007 were caused by genetically similar but clearly distinguishable viruses of the 2.2 clade. In 2013, an H9N2 avian influenza virus was detected in 4 fattening turkey holdings. The virus was low pathogenic and a phylogenetic study has shown a close relatedness to the Eurasian lineage of AIV of the wild bird origin. Neither preventive nor prophylactic vaccinations have ever been used in poultry or other birds. Emergency vaccinations using autogenous vaccine were introduced only to control the H7N7 LPAI outbreaks in 1995. The baseline surveillance for AI in live migratory birds and poultry provides a valuable insight into the ecology of AIV at the wild and domestic bird interface. Passive surveillance is in place of early detection of HPAIV infection in dead or moribund birds.

Keywords

EN

avian influenza; H5N1 virus

• Publisher: Polish Biochemical Society
• Journal: Acta Biochimica Polonica
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 61
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 453-457

Dates

published

2014

received

2014-05-27

revised

2014-08-18

accepted

2014-08-20

(unknown)

2014-09-01

Contributors

author

Krzysztof Śmietanka

• Department of Poultry Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland

author

Zenon Minta

• Department of Poultry Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland

References

• Abdelwhab EM, Veits J, Mettenleiter TC (2014) Prevalence and control of H7 avian influenza viruses in birds and humans. Epidemiol Infect 142: 896-920.
• Alexander DJ (2007a) An overview of the epidemiology of avian influenza. Vaccine, 25: 5637-5644.
• Alexander DJ (2007b) Summary of avian influenza activity in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, 2002-2006. Avian Dis 51: 161-166.
• Breed AC, Harris K, Hesterberg U, Gould G, Londt BZ, Brown IH, Cook AJ (2010) Surveillance for avian influenza in wild birds in the European Union in 2007. Avian Dis 54: 399-404.
• Brown IH (2010) Summary of avian influenza activity in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 2006-2009. Avian Dis 54: 187-193.
• Campitelli L, Mogavero E, De Marco MA, Delogu M, Puzelli S, Frezza F, Facchini M, Chiapponi C, Foni E, Cordioli P, Webby R, Barigazzi G, Webster RG, Donatelli I (2004) Interspecies transmission of an H7N3 influenza virus from wild birds to intensively reared domestic poultry in Italy. Virology 323: 24-36.
• Capua I, Mutinelli F, Marangon S, Alexander DJ (2000) H7N1 avian influenza in Italy (1999 to 2000) in intensively reared chickens and turkeys. Avian Pathol 29: 537-543.
• Cox NJ, Fuller F, Kaverin N, Klenk HD, Lamb RA, Mahy BW, McCauley J, Nakamura K, Palese P, Webster R (2000) Orthomyxoviridae. In Virus Taxonomy, Seventh Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Van Regenmortel MH, Fauquet CM, Bishop DHL, Carstens EB, Estes MK, Lemon SM, Maniloff J, Mayo MA, McGeoch DJ, Pringle CR, Wickner RB, eds. pp 585-597. Academic Press, San Diego.
• Domanska-Blicharz K, Smietanka K, Minta Z (2006) Molecular methods for the detection of avian influenza type A viruses. Bull Vet Inst Pulawy 50: 287-291.
• Garten W, Klenk HD (2008) Cleavage activation of the influenza virus hemagglutinin and its role in pathogenesis. In Avian influenza, Klenk HD, Matrosovich MN, Stech J, eds, Monogr Virol vol 27, pp 156-167. Basel, Karger.
• Globig A, Staubach C, Beer M, Koppen U, Fiedler W, Nieburg M, Wilking H, Starick E, Teifke JP, Werner O, Unger F, Grund C, Wolf C, Roost H, Feldhusen F, Conraths FJ, Mettenleiter TC, Harder TC (2009) Epidemiological and ornithological aspects of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 of Asian lineage in wild birds in Germany, 2006 and 2007. Transbound Emerg Dis 56: 57-72.
• Haase M, Starick E, Fereidouni S, Strebelow G, Grund C, Seeland A, Scheuner C, Cieslik D, Smietanka K, Minta Z, Zorman-Rojs O, Mojzis M, Goletic T, Jestin V, Schulenburg B, Pybus O, Mettenleiter T, Beer M, Harder T (2010) Possible sources and spreading routes of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 infections in poultry and wild birds in Central Europe in 2007 inferred through likelihood analyses. Infect Genet Evol 10: 1075-1084.
• Hesterberg U, Harris K, Stroud D, Guberti V, Busani L, Pittman M, Piazza V, Cook A, Brown I (2009) Avian influenza surveillance in wild birds in the European Union in 2006. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 3: 1-14.
• Huang R, Wang AR, Liu ZH, Liang W, Li XX, Tang YJ, Miao ZM, Chai TJ (2013) Seroprevalence of avian influenza H9N2 among poultry workers in Shandong Province, China. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 32: 1347-1351.
• Imai M, Kawaoka Y (2012) The role of receptor binding specificity in interspecies transmission of influenza viruses. Curr Opin Virol 2: 160-167.
• Kuiken T (2013) Is low pathogenic avian influenza virus virulent for wild waterbirds? Proc Biol Sci 280: 20130990.
• Lin YP, Shaw M, Gregory V, Cameron K, Lim W, Klimov A, Subbarao K, Guan Y, Krauss S, Shortridge K, Webster R, Cox N, Hay A (2000) Avian-to-human transmission of H9N2 subtype influenza A viruses: relationship between H9N2 and H5N1 human isolates. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97: 9654-9658.
• Minta Z, Koncicki A (1996) New diseases of turkeys. In: Scientific Symposia, 3rd International Fair of Technology and Veterinary Organization PRO ANIMALI'96. Wrocław 29.04-1.05.1996, pp I-5-I-7.
• Minta Z, Smietanka K, Domanska-Blicharz K, Tomczyk G, Wijaszka T (2007) Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in wild birds in Poland - analysis of first cases. Med Weter 63: 1349-1352 (in Polish).
• Munster VJ, Wallensten A, Baas C, Rimmelzwaan GF, Schutten M, Olsen B, Osterhaus AD, Fouchier RA (2005) Mallards and highly pathogenic avian influenza ancestral viruses, northern Europe. Emerg Infect Dis 11: 1545-1551.
• OIE (2013) Terrestrial Animal Health Code, chapter 10.4 Infections with avian influenza viruses, available at
• Pan Q, Liu A, Zhang F, Ling Y, Ou C, Hou N, He C (2012) Co-infection of broilers with Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale and H9N2 avian influenza virus. BMC Vet Res 8: 104.
• Payungporn S, Chutinimitkul S, Chaisingh A, Damrongwantanapokin S, Buranathai C, Amonsin A, Theamboonlers A, Poovorawan Y (2006) Single step multiplex real-time RT-PCR for H5N1 influenza A virus detection. J Virol Methods 131: 143-147.
• Pikuła A, Smietanka K, Lisowska A, Minta Z (2014) Active surveillance in poultry in Poland for avian influenza subtypes H5 and H7. Acta Biochim Pol 61: 459-463.
• Popp C, Lueschow D, Hafez HM (2013) Report on recent avian influenza virus (AIV) H9N2 outbreaks in commercial turkey flocks in Southern Germany. Proceedings of the XVIIIth International Congress of the World Veterinary Poultry Association (p. 491). Nantes, France.
• Reperant LA, Fuckar NS, Osterhaus AD, Dobson AP, Kuiken T (2010) Spatial and temporal association of outbreaks of H5N1 influenza virus infection in wild birds with the 0 degrees C isotherm. PLoS Pathog 6: e1000854.
• Rönchen S (2013) Avian influenza H9N2 in Germany: dynamics of spreading and molecular changes in a dense poultry populated area. In Abstracts of 7th 'Hafez' International Symposium on Turkey Production. May 30th-June 1st 2013, Hafez HM, ed. Berlin, Germany.
• Slomka MJ, Pavlidis T, Banks J, Shell W, McNally A, Essen S, Brown IH (2007) Validated H5 Eurasian real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and its application in H5N1 outbreaks in 2005-2006. Avian Dis 51: 373-377.
• Slomka MJ, Pavlidis T, Coward VJ, Voermans J, Koch G, Hanna A, Banks J, Brown IH (2009) Validated RealTime reverse transcriptase PCR methods for the diagnosis and pathotyping of Eurasian H7 avian influenza viruses. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 3: 151-164.
• Smietanka K, Minta Z, Tomczyk G, Domanska-Blicharz K, Bartnicka B, Szewczyk B, Grzywaczewski G (2005) Prevalence of avian influenza virus infections in poultry and wild birds. Med Weter 61: 676-679.
• Smietanka K, Minta Z, Domanska-Blicharz K, Tomczyk G, Wijaszka T (2008) Avian Influenza H5N1 Outbreak in a Flock of Mute Swans in the City of Torun, Poland, in 2006. Bull Vet Inst Pulawy 52: 491-495.
• Smietanka K, Minta Z, Domanska-Blicharz K, Tomczyk G, Wijaszka T, Zwiazek J, Batorczak Z, Bartoszewicz L (2009) ) Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 cases in Poland in 2007. Med Weter 65: 115-118 (in Polish).
• Smietanka K, Fusaro A, Domanska-Blicharz K, Salviato A, Monne I, Dundon WG, Cattoli G, Minta Z (2010) Full-length genome sequencing of the Polish HPAI H5N1 viruses suggests separate introductions in 2006 and 2007. Avian Dis 54: 335-339.
• Smietanka K, Pikula A, Minta Z, Meissner W (2011) Evidence of persistence and multiple genetic modifications of H7N7 low-pathogenic avian influenza virus in wild mallards in Poland provided by phylogenetic studies. Avian Pathol 40: 131-138.
• Smietanka K, Minta Z, Wlodarczyk R, Wyrostek K, Jozwiak M, Olszewska M, Minias P, Kaczmarek K, Janiszewski T, Kleszcz A (2012) Avian influenza viruses in wild birds at the Jeziorsko reservoir in Poland in 2008-2010. Pol J Vet Sci 15: 323-328.
• Smietanka K, Minta Z, Świętoń E, Olszewska M, Jóźwiak M, Domańska-Blicharz K, Wyrostek K, Tomczyk G, Pikuła A (2014) Avian influenza H9N2 subtype in Poland - characterization of the isolates and evidence of concomitant infection. Avian Pathol (in press, DOI 10.1080/03079457.2014.952221).
• Spackman E, Senne DA, Myers TJ, Bulaga LL, Garber LP, Perdue ML, Lohman K, Daum LT, Suarez DL (2002) Development of a real-time reverse transcriptase PCR assay for type A influenza virus and the avian H5 and H7 hemagglutinin subtypes. J Clin Microbiol 40: 3256-3260.
• Stegeman A, Bouma A, Elbers AR, de Jong MC, Nodelijk G, de Klerk F, Koch G, van Boven M (2004) Avian influenza A virus (H7N7) epidemic in The Netherlands in 2003: course of the epidemic and effectiveness of control measures. J Infect Dis 190: 2088-2095.
• Swayne DE, Suarez DL, Sims LD (2013) Influenza. In Diseases of Poultry, Swayne DE ed, pp 181-218. Wiley-Blackwell.
• To KK, Tsang AK, Chan JF, Cheng VC, Chen H, Yuen KY (2014) Emergence in China of human disease due to avian influenza A(H10N8) - cause for concern? J Infect 68: 205-215.
• Tong S, Li Y, Rivailler P, Conrardy C, Castillo DA, Chen LM, Recuenco S, Ellison JA, Davis CT, York IA, Turmelle AS, Moran D, Rogers S, Shi M, Tao Y, Weil MR, Tang K, Rowe LA, Sammons S, Xu X, Frace M, Lindblade KA, Cox NJ, Anderson LJ, Rupprecht CE, Donis RO (2012) A distinct lineage of influenza A virus from bats. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109: 4269-4274.
• Tong S, Zhu X, Li Y, Shi M, Zhang J, Bourgeois M, Yang H, Chen X, Recuenco S, Gomez J, Chen LM, Johnson A, Tao Y, Dreyfus C, Yu W, McBride R, Carney PJ, Gilbert AT, Chang J, Guo Z, Davis CT, Paulson JC, Stevens J, Rupprecht CE, Holmes EC, Wilson IA, Donis RO (2013) New world bats harbor diverse influenza A viruses. PLoS Pathog 9: e1003657.
• Van Kerkhove MD (2013) Brief literature review for the WHO global influenza research agenda - highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 risk in humans. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 7 (Suppl 2): 26-33.
• Verhagen JH, Munster VJ, Majoor F, Lexmond P, Vuong O, Stumpel JB, Rimmelzwaan GF, Osterhaus AD, Schutten M, Slaterus R, Fouchier RA (2012) Avian influenza a virus in wild birds in highly urbanized areas. PloS One 7: e38256.
• Webster RG, Bean WJ, Gorman OT, Chambers TM, Kawaoka Y (1992) Evolution and ecology of influenza A viruses. Microbiol Rev 56: 152-179.
• Włodarczyk R, Szleszczuk P (2008) Ornithological features of a mute swan (Cyngus olor) flock from the first HPAI H5N1 outbreak in Poland. Med Weter 64: 227-230 (in Polish).