Death of Over Five Thousand Birds Due to H5N8 Avian Influenza Around Tehran

The World Organization for Animal Health reports that Iran has recently notified the organization of two outbreaks of a severe strain of avian influenza around Tehran, which has resulted in the death of over five thousand birds. According to a report from Iran's Ministry of Agriculture, the H5N8 influenza virus is responsible for the death of 5,600 birds out of a total of 283,500 birds registered in poultry farms around Tehran. Reuters reported on Tuesday, November 22, that this number either died from influenza or were culled due to the disease. The report states that the Ministry of Agriculture is tracking the source of the infection and investigating the potential spread to other birds. Reuters also noted that the H5N8 virus has never been seen in humans, but in recent weeks, it has been responsible for infections in wild and domestic birds in several European countries and Israel. This report comes despite the head of Iran's Veterinary Organization stating two weeks ago that results from sampling and testing 1,500 traditional and rural poultry farms and bird markets indicated that no cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza had been reported so far. Mehdi Khalaj mentioned the initiation of a monitoring and sampling plan in rural poultry farms and traditional bird markets since mid-September, stating that 'no cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus have been observed in samples taken from these centers.' The head of Iran's Veterinary Organization also warned against purchasing birds from roadside and unauthorized centers, urging industrial and traditional poultry farmers and ornamental bird sellers to report any unusual symptoms to the nearest veterinary center. According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture's information base, the Iranian cabinet allocated 100 billion rials on November 19 for 'controlling and combating highly pathogenic avian influenza' and 'conducting monitoring and identification operations for this disease.' This funding is also intended for 'compensating owners of culled native birds,' 'compensating for destroyed contaminated feed,' and 'destruction, quarantine, and health operations' by the country's veterinary organization. In Iran, especially in northern provinces, there is a risk of bird disease outbreaks due to their location on migratory bird routes, and in this regard, Gilan province has formed provincial and local committees in recent months. Additionally, in recent weeks, local veterinary officials in central provinces, Hamadan, and West Azerbaijan have announced that after inspections and sampling, they have not encountered any cases of avian influenza in these areas. In this context, the Veterinary Organization stated that avian influenza in Mazandaran is under control.