Between September 30th and October 14th, veterinary officials in Hungary confirmed four significant outbreaks of HPAI with characterization as strain H5N1.
All the commercial farms affected housed either geese or ducks, presumably with outside access. In one case involving 17,000 birds, a secondary infection was detected close to other operations. HPAI was isolated from migratory waterfowl during the weeks preceding the series of commercial cases. Outbreaks occurred along an arc of approximately 200 miles involving six counties with cases in proximity to rivers representing major north to south flyways including the Danube and tributaries.
Authorities have imposed WOAH quarantines in the 1.8-mile radius protection zones and have initiated surveillance in the more extensive regions surrounding the primary outbreaks.
As reported in EGG-NEWS, a number of E.U. nations have detected H5N1 in migratory birds, preceding outbreaks in non-confined commercial poultry. Since non-confined waterfowl are susceptible to infection by direct and indirect contact with free-living and migratory birds it would appear that vaccination, as in France, is a justifiable protective measure given the inability to prevent infection of flocks allowed access to pasture.