OmniVira

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in farmed minks, Spain, October 2022.

Montserrat Agüero1 Isabella Monne2 Azucena Sánchez1 Bianca Zecchin2 Alice Fusaro2 María José Ruano1 Manuel Del Valle Arrojo3 Ricardo Fernández-Antonio4 Antonio Manuel Souto5 Pedro Tordable5 Julio Cañás5 Francesco Bonfante2 Edoardo Giussani2 Calogero Terregino2 Jesús Javier Orejas6
Affiliations 6 institutions
  1. Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (LCV), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Algete, Madrid, Spain.
  2. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy.
  3. Counselling of Health, Xunta de Galicia, A Coruña, Spain.
  4. Galician Mink Breeders Association, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
  5. Livestock Service, Counselling of Rural Affairs, Xunta de Galicia, A Coruña, Spain.
  6. Animal Health Service, Counselling of Rural Affairs, Xunta de Galicia, A Coruña, Spain.
PMID36695488 DOI10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.3.2300001 Year2023 Journal Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin Euro Surveill Languageeng Statusppublish

Abstract

In October 2022, an outbreak in Europe of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) in intensively farmed minks occurred in northwest Spain. A single mink farm hosting more than 50,000 minks was involved. The identified viruses belong to clade 2.3.4.4b, which is responsible of the ongoing epizootic in Europe. An uncommon mutation (T271A) in the PB2 gene with potential public health implications was found. Our investigations indicate onward mink transmission of the virus may have occurred in the affected farm.

Supporting text Virus Host Location
H5N1 82 HPAI 19 influenza A 7 mammal 2 mink 58 mutations 7 PB2 9 Spain 27 Influenza A virus 186 Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype 300 Influenza in Birds 341 Influenza, Human 286 Animals 1948 Farms 30 Humans 1440 Mink 48 Phylogeny 805 Spain 25

Evidence records

2 total
Zoonotic Surveillance
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type Viral Detection
1 records
OVE11616 Viral Detection
Key finding

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viral material was detected in minks from a farm in northwest Spain.

Virus
Influenza A virus H5N1
Host
Mustela Natural host
Location
Spain
Supporting text

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus was identified in minks from the affected farm. The identified viruses belong to clade 2.3.4.4b, which is responsible of the ongoing epizootic in Europe.

Method
virus identification | genetic characterization of clade 2.3.4.4b
Sample type
farm samples | mink specimens
Geographic raw
northwest Spain
Transmission Evidence
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type Outbreak Investigation
1 records
OVE11615 Outbreak Investigation
Key finding

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) occurred among intensively farmed minks in northwest Spain in October 2022.

Virus
Influenza A virus H5N1
Host
Mustela Natural host
Location
Spain
Supporting text

In October 2022, an outbreak in Europe of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) in intensively farmed minks occurred in northwest Spain.

Method
outbreak investigation | diagnostic testing | viral detection | molecular analysis
Transmission direction
same-species transmission
Geographic raw
northwest Spain
Outbreak setting
intensively farmed minks
Outbreak time
October 2022
Outbreak scale
a single mink farm hosting more than 50,000 minks was involved