First detection of avian influenza (H5) in poultry in Suriname; multidistrict spread under investigation

Key findings:

• "Avian influenza, type H5, was laboratory-confirmed in broiler chickens at a poultry farm in Wanica District, Suriname, following a sharp increase in mortality observed over the week preceding 19 Sep 2026; the specific variant (highly pathogenic or low pathogenic) remains undetermined pending additional testing abroad.
• More than half of the approximately 6000 broiler chickens at the affected farm have reportedly died.
• Samples from all exposed farm personnel tested negative for human infection; no human cases have been detected.
• The response involves the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV), the Bureau of Public Health (BOG), the National Coordination Centre for Disaster Management (NCCR), PAHO, and other local partners; priorities for the initial 72-hour window include enhanced surveillance, biosecurity and disinfection scale-up, and procurement of diagnostic materials and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Prior preventive measures included import restrictions on hatching eggs from H5-affected parts of Europe, seizure and destruction of unauthorized poultry products, establishment of a veterinary border post at Stolkertsijver, and biosecurity training for more than 3000 people."