The National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in alpacas from premises where HPAI-affected poultry were depopulated this month.
While this HPAI confirmation is not unexpected due to the previous HPAI detection on the premises, the high amount of virus in the environment, and the co-mingling of multiple livestock species on-farm, it is the first HPAI detection in alpacas.
NVSL has confirmed that the viral genome sequence for these samples is the same sequence currently circulating in dairy cattle (B3.13), consistent with sequences from the depopulated poultry on these premises.
Meanwhile, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported that another 4.2 million egg-laying chickens in Sioux City were depopulated. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI reported in Iowa this year.
Bird flu has been a concern since 2022. Primarily spread by migrating birds, HPAI has now been found in dairy cattle in at least 67 herds in nine states.
According to Reuters, research from Wageningen Bioveterinary Research showed early last year that two bird flu vaccines, produced by France’s Ceva Animal Health and Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim, were effective against the virus.
“In September 2023, 1,800 day-old chicks were vaccinated against bird flu. The results show that the two tested vaccines are effective against infection with the virus eight weeks after vaccination,” the Dutch agriculture ministry said in a statement.
The ministry stated that the tests were conducted at two laying farms by Wageningen University & Research, Royal GD, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University.
The Dutch government has confirmed plans to vaccinate poultry against the virus as human transmission fears grow and continue transmission trials to determine the effective length of the vaccine.
Human cases have been reported sporadically around the globe over the years, including three in the U.S. Still, no person-to-person transmission has been reported in the ongoing U.S. cattle outbreak.
Australia reported its first case of avian influenza in a child who contracted the virus in India last week, while a different highly infectious strain was detected on an egg farm.
