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St. Helena - #Influenza A #H5N1 viruses of high pathogenicity (Inf. with) (non-poultry including wild birds) (2017-) - Immediate notification

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By G.M.

On 12th September 2024, a dead Tristan (Brown) Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus hamiltoni) was found at the Gough Island helipad. The following day, a live skua was observed showing suspicious signs of HPAI, including head drooping, lethargy and weakness, and was later reported dead. Between the 12th and 15th September, a total of four skuas were found dead from suspicious causes. Three carcasses were swabbed on the 20th of September and all were confirmed POSITIVE for H5N1 HPAIV by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Weybridge laboratory) in the UK on the 24th of October 2024. On the day of sampling, the fourth carcass could not be found and was probably taken away by a scavenging skua. Since then, no further signs of HPAI among skuas or in other seabirds breeding on Gough Island, have been observed.

Source: WOAH, https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6354

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