Chinese scientists reveal that the H5N8 virus did not cause the outbreak of bird flu in China

　　China News Service, Harbin, November 7 (Reporter Wang Nina) The Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences released a news on the 7th. The research team of the academician Chen Hualan found that the H5N8 virus that swept Europe and Asia last year (hereinafter referred to as "H5N8") The introduction of swans into our country at the beginning of this year did not cause an outbreak of poultry avian influenza, because the chickens and ducks routinely immunized in our country's poultry farms can completely resist the attack of the H5N8 virus.

　　Since 2020, the H5N8 subtype avian influenza virus has caused epidemics in poultry and wild birds in more than 20 countries in Europe and Asia.

At the beginning of this year, H5N8 was introduced to wild birds in my country through swans, but it did not cause an outbreak of poultry avian influenza.

　　In order to scientifically prevent and control the H5N8 avian influenza epidemic and determine whether the avian influenza vaccine can effectively block this type of virus from invading poultry from wild birds, the team of Academician Chen Hualan from the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences conducted research on these issues.

　　Between September 2020 and June 2021, the team collected and analyzed 41,172 poultry swab samples and 317 wild bird samples, and isolated 36 H5N8 strains, of which 22 were from wild birds and 14 were from ducks and ducks. Goose.

　　These viruses are divided into two gene types. The first type of virus was found to be circulating in Europe from January to June 2020, South Korea and Japan from October to December, and introduced into my country by swan in January 2021; The type virus was first detected in poultry in Iraq in May 2020. It was endemic in Russia from June to September. It was introduced to more European countries in October and was introduced into my country by swans, and then spread to 16 species of wild birds and some in China. Ducks and geese of the region.

　　Studies have found that these viruses are highly lethal to chickens, mild to ducks, and their virulence to mice varies from strain to strain.

Although H5N8 was introduced to wild birds in China, it did not cause a poultry avian influenza outbreak. This is because the chickens and ducks routinely immunized in our country's poultry farms can completely withstand the H5N8 virus attack.

　　The research team published the research results in the journal Scientia Life Sciences in China (English edition) under the title of "The Spatiotemporal Spread, Biological Characteristics of H5N8 Subtype Avian Influenza Virus, Biological Characteristics and the Protective Effects of Current Vaccines Used in China". In view of the fact that H5N8 is in wild birds This study strongly urges high-risk countries to immunize poultry with H5 vaccine to effectively block the virus from entering poultry from wild birds and protect human life and health.

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