Emerging Infectious Diseases (Feb 2009)

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) in Frozen Duck Carcasses, Germany, 2007

  • Timm C. Harder,
  • Jürgen Teuffert,
  • Elke Starick,
  • Jörn Gethmann,
  • Christian Grund,
  • Sasan Fereidouni,
  • Markus Durban,
  • Karl-Heinz Bogner,
  • Antonie Neubauer-Juric,
  • Reinhard Repper,
  • Andreas Hlinak,
  • Andreas Engelhardt,
  • Axel Nöckler,
  • Krzysztof Smietanka,
  • Zenon Minta,
  • Matthias Kramer,
  • Anja Globig,
  • Thomas C. Mettenleiter,
  • Franz J. Conraths,
  • Martin Beer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1502.080949
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 2
pp. 272 – 279

Abstract

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We conducted phylogenetic and epidemiologic analyses to determine sources of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV), subtype H5N1, in poultry holdings in 2007 in Germany, and a suspected incursion of HPAIV into the food chain through contaminated deep-frozen duck carcasses. In summer 2007, HPAIV (H5N1) outbreaks in 3 poultry holdings in Germany were temporally, spatially, and phylogenetically linked to outbreaks in wild aquatic birds. Detection of HPAIV (H5N1) in frozen duck carcass samples of retained slaughter batches of 1 farm indicated that silent infection had occurred for some time before the incidental detection. Phylogenetic analysis established a direct epidemiologic link between HPAIV isolated from duck meat and strains isolated from 3 further outbreaks in December 2007 in backyard chickens that had access to uncooked offal from commercial deep-frozen duck carcasses. Measures that will prevent such undetected introduction of HPAIV (H5N1) into the food chain are urgently required.

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