Update avian influenza
Since October 2020 The DWHC and Sovon have collected more than 400 dead wild birds to be tested for avian influenza virus at WBVR in Lelystad, The Netherlands. Most of the collected birds were individuals, because the NVWA deal with the reports of 3 or more dead waterbirds.
In table below are the bird species listed that were collected by the DWHC and Sovon and were tested positive for (highly pathogenic) avian influenza. Of course this is not a complete list ofbirds that can be infected with (highly pathogenic) avian influenza.
| Type AI virus | ducks, geese swans | other (water)birds | raptors |
| H5N8, highly pathogenic | Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
Greater Canada Goose (Branta canadensis canadensis) Greylag Goose (Anser anser) Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Gadwall (Mareca strepera) Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) Bean goose* (Anser fabalis sensu lato) Brant Goose (Branta bernicla) Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) |
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) |
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) |
| H5N8 (not tested for
Pathogenicity, but probably HP because of outbreak) |
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) Black Swan (Cygnus atratus ) |
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus ) European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) |
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) |
| H5N1, highly pathogenic | Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
Greylag Goose (Anser anser) Swan sp. (Cygnus sp.) |
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) | |
| H5N3, highly pathogenic | Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) | ||
| * It is not impossible that the birds are first-years Greater White-fronted Goose; pictures of these birds are lacking. | |||
At the moment HP avian influenza is still circulating in the Netherlands and are mainly, but not exclusively, Barnacle geese and Common buzzards tested positive.
More information about HPAI in Europe in the past months, can be found on the website of Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) and the EFSA publication: Avian influenza overview December 2020 – February 2021
