The National Center for Laboratory Research and Risk Assessment (LABRIS) also detected the same strain in five dead chickens belonging to a hobby farmer in Viimsi.

Olev Kalda, head of the Animal Health and Welfare Department at the Food and Agricultural Authority (PTA), said that the findings of avian influenza in Harju County indicate that the virus is circulating in nature and has already reached domestic animals.

"Careful compliance with biosecurity requirements will significantly reduce the risk of infection in domestic birds," Kalda said.

The findings show that, similar to in neighboring countries, the virus has also spread in Estonia.

"The spread of the virus in our natural environment is indicated by the discovery of H5N1 in foxes, as carnivorous mammals rarely become infected with avian influenza; their infection is associated with eating sick or dead birds," Kalda said.

Kalda explained that domestic birds become infected with avian flu either through direct or indirect contact with infected birds or through feed or objects contaminated with the virus. The disease often goes unnoticed in waterfowl, as they may not develop clinical symptoms, but they can transmit the infection to other domestic birds.

It is therefore crucial to prevent domestic birds from coming into contact with wild or waterfowl and their droppings in any way possible, as well as to feed your birds in a way that prevents contamination of feed and does not attract unwanted visitors.

Despite the widespread occurrence of avian influenza in wild birds, domestic poultry and some mammals in recent years, and the possibility of human contact with infected animals, no cases of human infection have been confirmed in the European Union.

The transmission of avian influenza virus from infected animals to humans remains a rare phenomenon. There has also been no sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) assesses the risk of human infection with avian influenza as low. The risk of infection for people who come into contact with birds and infected mammals through their work is assessed as low to moderate.

To protect yourself and your pets, it is advisable to take precautions. Sick birds, such as those with nervous symptoms, dead birds, animals and their excrement should not be touched, but if contact is unavoidable, personal protective equipment (disposable gloves, protective clothing and a mask) should be used. Feeding your pet raw meat or offal from birds should also be avoided.

In areas where there is confirmed widespread infection of wild birds with avian influenza or where there is likely to be mortality in animals infected with avian influenza, avoid contact with dead or sick animals, keep dogs on a leash and keep cats indoors.

The PTA monitors the spread of the disease in Estonia by region. This is necessary in order to implement preventive measures to prevent the spread of the disease and to inform bird keepers of the risk of bird flu spreading.

For early detection of the disease, dead waterfowl (geese, swans), birds of prey, or large numbers of dead wild birds should be reported via the web application linnugripp.ee, where you can leave the location coordinates and a photo, which makes it easier to find the birds.

Reports can also be made by calling the information line at +372 605 4767. More information about bird flu is available on the PTA website.

People are advised that they should definitely not pick up the birds themselves and take them anywhere, as this increases the risk of spreading the virus.

The case of the fox in Harju County, is the in which avian influenza has been diagnosed in a mammal in Estonia. The previous case was detected in 2021, on Hiiumaa.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, the detection of bird flu in mammals is on the rise. In our neighboring region, Latvia has also detected the disease in foxes, Finnish foxes, arctic foxes, raccoon dogs, martens, lynxes, and in fur farms in both blue foxes and American minks.

Avian influenza has also been diagnosed in domestic animals such as cats and dogs in Poland and Italy, and in sheep in Norway and the United Kingdom.

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