Ireland confirms avian influenza H5N8

Ireland has confirmed avian influenza subtype H5N8 in a wild bird in the southeastern county of Wexford, the authorities said in a statement on Saturday.

The wild duck, a wigeon, was found alive but unable to fly in Wexford town on Wednesday, it said.

Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Center said that although the H5N8 subtype can cause serious diseases in poultry and other birds, no human infections with this virus have been reported world-wide and therefore risk to humans is considered to be very low.

The finding was not unexpected given the detection of highly pathogenic H5N8 in wild birds in Britain in the last two weeks.

It came one week after the Irish Department of Agriculture introduced regulations under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, requiring the compulsory housing of poultry as a result of the increased threat.

Further tests are being carried out to determine whether the virus is the same highly pathogenic strain that is currently present in Britain and mainland Europe, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The results of these tests will not be available until the middle of next week, the department said. Endit