Table. Reported bird species, winter population size estimates, number of carcasses, and rRT-PCR test results per incident during outbreak of HPAI A(H5N8) virus, the Netherlands, November 2016–January 2017*.
| Avian family and species (common name) | Maximum estimated winter population, ×1,000† | No. carcasses | HPAI incidents tested‡ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anatidae (waterbirds) | 7,326 | 51/134 | |
| Anas penelope (Eurasian wigeon) | 680–920 | 2,511 | 18/18 |
|
Aythya
fuligula (tufted duck) |
190–230 |
2,633 |
8/11 |
| Unidentified waterfowl | 1,771 | 23/95 | |
| Podicipedidae (grebes) | 31 | 3/5 | |
| Ardeidae (herons)§ | 165 | 0/13 | |
| Phalacrocoracidae (comorants) | 50 | 1/2 | |
| Rallidae (rallids) | 279 | 1/9 | |
| Scolopacidae
(shorebirds)¶ |
|
103 |
0/2 |
| Laridae (gulls) | 698 | 12/28 | |
|
Larus
marinus (great black-backed gull) |
7.4–13 |
78 |
5/5 |
| Accipitridae (hawks) |
|
119 |
4/17 |
| Falconidae (falcons) | 23 | 3/4 | |
|
Falco
peregrinus (peregrine falcon) |
0.36–0.52 |
16 |
3/4 |
| Corvidae (corvids) | 88 | 3/10 | |
| Aves indet. (unidentified)
|
|
4,708 |
4/28 |
| Total | 13,590 | 84/255 |
*Incidents are defined as death reports of a species per site per day. HPAI, highly pathogenic avian influenza; rRT-PCR, real-time reverse transcription PCR. †Population estimates represent the lowest and highest yearly maxima for the Netherlands during 2009–2014. Data from Sovon (Dutch Center for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, the Netherlands). ‡Number of positive versus all tested incidents are presented (number positive/number tested), based on infection data from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Dutch Wildlife Health Center, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, and Erasmus Medical Center. §H5N8 HPAI virus infection in grey heron (Ardea cinerea) was confirmed elsewhere in Europe (8). ¶Eurasian woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) are more prone than other species to window collisions during nocturnal migration; thus, their deaths (54 carcasses reported) might not be related to HPAI.