Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Clade 2.3.4.4b Virus in Dust Samples from Poultry Farms, France, 2021

Avian influenza A(H5N8) virus has caused major epizootics in Europe since 2016. We conducted virologic analysis of aerosol and dust collected on poultry farms in France during 2020-2021. Our results suggest dust contributes to viral dispersal, even early in an outbreak, and could be a valuable surveillance tool.

Automated summary

This study conducted virologic analysis on aerosol and dust collected from poultry farms in France during 2020-2021 and found that dust contributed to viral dispersal, even at the early stage of an outbreak. This finding suggests that dust can be a valuable surveillance tool for monitoring avian influenza A(H5N8) virus.