Disease

Novel Coronavirus Infection – Update

The United Kingdom has informed the WHO of another confirmed case of infection with the novel coronavirus (NCoV). This is the third case confirmed in the country this month and is in the same family cluster as the two recently confirmed cases.

see: previous post

Bird Flu on Poultry Farm - Germany

German authorities said a case of H5N1 bird flu had been discovered during initial tests on a poultry farm in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

The case was discovered in a duck farm, which was carrying out its own tests, the Brandenburg state agriculture ministry said on Friday.

However, the bird flu virus could not be confirmed in final testing.

Disease

Four new outbreaks of Newcastle disease were reported in Israel in the first week of December and resulted in the deaths of 5,700 birds, 4,400 were destroyed and 197,000 were slaughtered.

An outbreak of Bovine Johne's Disease (BJD) on a Queensland [Australia] stud farm has the farmer facing the prospect of slaughtering all of his 2 700 stud cattle. Some fear the outbreak could collectively cost Queensland cattle breeders tens of millions of dollars.

Disease

185000 hens have been slaughtered to contain outbreak of a rare strain of salmonella on two commercial egg farms in Ireland. The strain of salmonella poses no threat to humans, but can cause substantial losses in flocks.