Unliquidated landfills on agricultural land lead to the risk of the spread of avian influenza

Unexploited garbage accumulations become a permanent habitat or stopovers on the migration route of a large number of gulls, spreading highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among wild and domestic individuals.

Avian influenza in gulls is severe, leading to death. In May 2023, a sharp increase in the death of birds of the gull family (Laridae) from HPAI was recorded. So, in the first 2 weeks of the month, 22 outbreaks caused by the H5N1 subtype virus were registered (confirmed by the examinations of the Federal Center for Animal HEALTH), in Kirovskaya (9), Smolenskaya (2), Kaluga (1), Kaliningradskaya (1), Tverskaya (1) regions, the republics of Mari El (4) and Udmurtia (4).

The largest number of dead birds was recorded in the Kirov region on the territory of several municipal districts at once - almost 4 thousand heads. Almost 900 gulls perished in the Republic of Mari El during this period. 140 seagulls died in Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga region.

One of the main sources of food for seagulls living far from water bodies are landfills and landfills.

Since 2017,  ROSSELKHOZNADZOR has identified more than 10 thousand landfills on agricultural land with a total area of ​​9.8 thousand hectares, which is almost comparable to the total area of ​​the capital of the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk. 

At the same time, as established, only 70% of the total amount was liquidated during this period. Such rates of landfill cleaning in many regions of RUSSIA cannot be considered satisfactory. For example, in 2022, out of 2.3 thousand landfills, only 1.1 thousand were eliminated, that is, less than half. In the first quarter of 2023, only 25 were removed, while 258 landfills were discovered.

In connection with the danger posed to veterinary well-being by unremoved and newly emerging landfills, Rosselkhoznadzor instructed its territorial departments to intensify work to identify places of illegal waste storage. The agency also calls on the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to immediately begin the elimination of all landfills on agricultural land in the areas of responsibility. 

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On the territory of Russia you can meet more than 20 species of birds that belong to the gull family. Their habitat is quite wide: this includes the European part of the country, most of the Far East and Siberia. Most of the gulls winter in the Black or Caspian Seas, some fly to the North Sea or the Mediterranean, as well as to the countries of Europe, Africa and Asia, including those endemic for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

8 main migration routes pass through Russia, and most of the wild birds, which are potential carriers of the virus, arrive in Russia during the spring migration to nesting sites, creating a risk of introducing influenza and spreading it to poultry.

Identification and determination of the list of infected bird populations is currently the key to the effectiveness of anti-epizootic measures.