The case in summary: 70 dead seagulls were found in the Hampleand spring at Kvitberg in Kvænangen municipality, eaten by crows and other animals. Over 100 dead birds have been observed floating in the Kvænangensfjord, and bird flu has been detected in several of them. Bird flu A virus “H5N1” has been confirmed in samples from dead birds in the area. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority confirms that there is a major outbreak of bird flu in North Troms. There is also suspicion of infection of birds in the sea off Skjervøy and on Sørøya in the West Finnmark. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority asks people not to report dead birds to them. The content is quality-assured by news’s journalists before publication seining, which takes place out here in the fjord, which had taken the lives of the birds, says Thorvald Johansen from Kvitberg in Kvænangen. On Sunday, he found 70 dead seagulls on the shore right by his house. He tells news that it is the one infectious bird flu of the type “H5N1” which was detected in the five birds that Johansen submitted for sampling earlier in the week. “It was sad to hear,” says Johansen. According to Framtid i Nord, which first wrote about the case, it has also been observed large flakes of over 100 dead seagulls in the sea off Skjervøy this week. A large influx of herring has filled the fjords in North Troms, and killer whales, tourists, fishermen and seagulls have followed the influx. That is why all the seagulls have come to Nord-Troms, where an outbreak of “H5N1” flu is now underway. The virus is the dreaded type of virus that came to Europe from Asia in 2021 and led to a mass outbreak in krykkje colonies in Finnmark in the summer of 2023. Several birds had been eaten by crows. Infection has been detected in cormorants just north of Kvænangen on Sørøya in West Finnmark. Photo: Thorvald Johansen Warning against upcoming outbreaks In mid-October, the Veterinary Institute warned that a major outbreak was probably on the way. – There is a risk that infected birds can spread the virus to more southern areas, as seagulls from the northernmost counties can move south in the coming weeks and months, they stated in a press release. Infection was then detected among seabirds, but also among seagulls and sea eagles in several municipalities. In Vardø, an outbreak was detected as early as 8 October, among black-backed and gray gulls. Also on Sørøya in West Finnmark, the Veterinary Institute reports in November that infection has been discovered among crows. news has reviewed all confirmed and suspected findings based on the Veterinary Institute and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s reports. At the beginning of October, bird flu, type: HPAI H5Nx, was detected in gray gulls and black-backed terns in Vardø. Also in early October, bird flu was detected in blackbirds in Øksnes in Vesterålen. In mid-October, infection was confirmed on dead seagulls on Senja and on a sea eagle on Meløy. Disease was also identified in gray gulls on Sømna. In Frøya on the Trøndelag coast, infection has now been detected in dead gulls. The Veterinary Institute confirmed on Friday 15 November that infection has been found in crows on Sørøya in Western Finnmark. In Kvænangen, Thorvald Johansen found 70 dead birds, which have been identified as infected. Over a hundred dead birds have been observed in the sea off Skjervøy, of which no samples have yet been taken. The birds may be among the dead birds found in Hampelandsfjære in Kviteberg, only a few kilometers to the northeast. Confirms ongoing outbreak Hilde Haug is head of department for veterinarians in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, and confirms to news that a major infection incident is underway in Nord-Troms. – We can confirm that bird flu has been detected in Kvænangen, and that this has been done on the basis of samples taken from seagulls found dead, she says. Hilde Haug is expedition leader in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority in Troms and Svalbard. Photo: Privat This is what you do if you find dead birds: – If someone finds dead birds, don’t take the bird with you, but report it to us at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, says Hilde Haug. You will then be notified if there is a need to take samples. – It is important for us to have information about the extent of the incident, and it is therefore desirable that we find out about dead birds, even if we do not prioritize taking samples from all of them, she says. Haug emphasizes that it is important to take infection into account. – Infection from birds to humans is rare, but it is still important to have good infection prevention routines if you are going to handle the birds, she concludes. You can use this form to report dead birds to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. She confirms that it is also suspected that dead birds observed in the sea off Skjervøy are infected with bird flu. – As for the birds in Skjervøy, these have been observed out in the sea, and no samples have been taken of them. We cannot rule out that there is a connection with bird flu, but we cannot confirm it definitively either, as there are several possible causes of death, says Haug. news has spoken to fishermen who have seen dead birds. A photographer on an orca safari has sent us this photo, which was taken in early November Kvænangsfjorden. This dead seagull was discovered in Kvænangsfjorden in early November. Photo: “K” Kjetil C. Astrup Global infection has crossed species boundaries On Thursday, Dagbladet reports that an outbreak of infection has been detected in 20 poultry flocks in Canada with the same virus variant, “H5N1”, which was identified along the coast in October and November. According to the Canadian newspaper CBC, a teenager in the province of British Columbia has become seriously ill from the virus, and his condition is said to be still critical. In the USA, the virus has started to wreak havoc in cow and pig herds and according to Reuters, 39 cases of human infection have been reported so far this year. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is now closely monitoring poultry flocks, and is asking for help in reporting possible outbreaks there as well. – Bird flu is primarily transmitted from bird to bird, and it is necessary to protect domesticated birds as best as possible against the disease, says Haug. Eaten by crows and eagles Thorvald Johansen tells news that he luckily used gloves when he sent the birds in for testing at the Food Safety Authority in the neighboring municipality. – I put five seagulls in a garbage bag, and took them with me to Nordreisa and handed them in, he says. He also says that most of the seagulls he saw on Sunday were eaten. – On the shore there were only two seagulls that were whole – the rest were eaten by eagles and crows, says Johansen. Thorvald Johansen in Kvitebergfjæra, right next to where he found the dead birds. Photo: private – It was a broken view, he adds. Later in the week, most of the dead birds were blown and washed out to sea, and out into the fjord where extensive herring fishing now takes place. He emphasizes that it is not at all a common sight with so many dead birds in Kviteberg. – No, I’ve never seen that before, he says. This is what the birds looked like, which Thorvald Johansen found in the spring stones right next to his house. Photo: Thorvald Johansen Have you discovered dead falcons? news wants to follow the outbreak to investigate the extent. If you find several dead birds in nature – you think they may be related, we would like to hear from you. Feel free to send us an e-mail with photos and the location, or upload photos and videos to news’s tips page. At the same time, we underline that the most important thing is to contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority on their tips page. You can follow the outbreak on the Veterinary Institute’s map page. Published 15.11.2024, at 21.33 Updated 15.11.2024, at 21.56
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Confirms large outbreak of bird flu in Nord-Troms – news Troms and Finnmark
