Epidemiology, Virology, and Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Kazakhstan

This review analyzed the epidemiology and impact of HPAI (H5N1 and H5N8) in migratory birds and poultry in Kazakhstan, with a special focus on outbreaks from 2005 to 2024. A comprehensive bibliographic analysis of publications on avian influenza in Kazakhstan over the past 20 years was performed. This review mainly included epidemiological studies of virus detections in wild and poultry in Kazakhstan. Migratory wild birds, in particular, played a key role in the spread of the virus. An analysis of the migration chronology of HPAIV-carrying birds prior to their entry into Kazakhstan was conducted, as well as a comparative analysis of seasonal and water landscape characteristics in previous habitats. The complexity and risks associated with the virus, together with the limited number of current scientific studies in Kazakhstan, require further research to reduce its impact on animals and the ecosystem as a whole.