Avian Influenza: H5 and H7 outbreak update report:
Overview of the new HPAI H5 event
In view of the sequencing data that became available in April 2023, indicating an introduction of a new strain of HPAI H5N1 in November 2022 in the Free State Province, it was decided to report any future HPAI H5 outbreaks as new events with the WOAH.
Overview of the new HPAI H5 poultry event
The last reported outbreak of HPAI H5 in commercial chickens in the Western Cape Province was during January 2022, while the last reported in the country was during September 2022. The index case of the new HPAI H5 poultry event has a start date of 18 April 2023 and was detected in poultry layers in the Swartland Local Municipality within the Western Cape Province. Seven outbreaks were reported in the Western Cape Province. The first outbreak outside of the Western Cape Province was detected in a commercial chicken breeder facility in the Mkhambathini Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province. A second outbreak was detected in another commercial chicken breeder facility in The Msunduzi Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province. A total of nine (n=9) outbreaks were reported to WOAH as part of the new HPAI H5 poultry event. The affected local municipalities in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces are represented in Table 1 below. Outbreaks that were resolved are struck through. Four (n=4) of the outbreaks were resolved.
