For an introduction to avian influenza and the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain click here.

Introduction to HPAI H5N1 in wild birds

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Major events in wild birds

Prior to HPAI H5N1, reports of HPAI in wild birds were very rare. The broad geographical scale and extent of the disease in wild birds is both extraordinary and unprecedented. The following table (Table 1) summarises the known major outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 in wild birds.

Table 1. Major outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in wild birds.

Period	Location(s)	Description of affected population	More information
2005 Apr	Qinghai Lake in central China	6345 waterbirds, the majority of which were Great Black-headed Gulls, Bar-headed Geese and Brown-headed Gulls	Chen et al. 2005 (2) Liu et al. 2005 (1) OIE dis info V18 No21
2005 Aug	Lake Erhel & Lake Khunt in Mongolia	89 waterbirds including ducks, geese and swans	OIE report 5464 10.08.05
2005 Oct-Nov	Romania & Croatia	Over 180 waterbirds, mainly swans	Sabirovic et al. 2006 (3)
2006 Jan	Coastal area in the vicinity of Baku, Azerbaijan	Unspecified number of birds reported to the OIE as "various migratory birds"	OIE report 4601 15.02.06
2006 Jan-May	23 countries in Europe including Turkey and European Russia	The majority of cases occurred in ducks, geese and swans but a wide variety of species were infected including other waterbirds and raptors	Sabirovic et al. 2006 (3)
2006 Feb	Rasht, Iran	153 wild swans	OIE report 4548 26.02.2006
2006 May	Multiple locations in Qinghai province, China	Over 900, mainly waterbirds, the majority of which were Bar-headed Geese	OIE report 4997 06.03.2007
2006 May	Naqu, Tibet	Over 2,300 birds - species composition unclear but 300 infected Bar-headed Geese were reported	OIE report 4997 06.03.2007
2006 Jun	Lake Hunt in Bulgan, Mongolia	12 waterbirds including geese, swans and gulls	OIE report 4673 28.07.2006
2007 Jun-Aug	Germany, France and the Czech Republic	Over 290, mainly waterbirds, found mostly in Germany	FLI epi bulletin 28.08.2007

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Outcomes of experimental infections

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More from the Scientific Task Force

• Scientific summary of HPAI H5N1: wildlife and conservation considerations
  Coming soon 
• Introduction to avian influenza and the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain
• Emergence and spread of HPAI H5N1
• Avian influenza and wetlands: complex interactions
• List of infected wild species
• Avian influenza and wild birds: what is their actual role in the spread of the virus?
  Information brochure available in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian.

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