On 2 January 2024, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 was confirmed in a domestic of hens in the village of Horní Slověnice close to the České Budějovice. This is the first case of H5N1 virus detection in the Czech Republic in 2024.
Whole genome sequencing identified the H5N1 strain belonging to the DA genotype with the closest relationship to H5N1 viruses identified in swans and cranes in Austria and Slovenia during September-November 2023.
This finding is in the context of the increasing activity of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Europe observed since autumn 2023. The current 2023-2024 season is characterised by the circulation of seven new H5N1 genotypes that have emerged from hybridisation with low pathogenic avian influenza viruses. Further outbreaks are likely to increase in the country in the coming weeks.
