Avian Influenza H5N1 Surveillance and its Dynamics in Poultry in Live Bird Markets, Egypt

Abstract

H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 HPAI), is an endemic disease that is significant for public health in Egypt. Live bird markets (LBMs) are widespread in Egypt and play an important role in HPAI disease dynamics. The aim of the study was to evaluate the H5N1 HPAI prevalence in representative LBMs from 2009 to 2014, assess the effects of other variables and evaluate past outbreaks and human cases. It was found that ducks and geese are high-risk species and that the prevalence of H5N1 HPAI was higher immediately after the political crises of 2011. The end of a calendar year (June to December) was a high-risk period for positive samples, and the risk in urban LBMs was twice the risk in rural LBMs. Winter and political unrest was associated with higher H5N1 HPAI prevalence. Both human and poultry populations will continue to rise in Egypt, so continued poultry outbreaks are likely to be linked to more human cases. LBMs will continue to play a role in the dynamics of poultry disease in Egypt, and there is a need to reorganize markets in terms of biosecurity and traceability. It may also be beneficial to reduce inter-governorate inter-regional movements associated with poultry trade through promotion of regional trade or in the alternative provide sanitary features along the poultry market chain to reduce the speed of H5N1 HPAI infections. Policy formulation, design and enforcement must be pro-poor, and consideration of the sociocultural and economic realities in Egypt is important. The LBMs provide ideal platforms to carry out sound surveillance plans and mitigate zoonotic risks of H5N1 HPAI to humans.

Intense circulation of A/H5N1 and other avian influenza viruses in Cambodian live-bird markets with serological evidence of sub-clinical human infections

“…26 The LBMs surrounding Phnom Penh have been established as foci for poultry movement in the country 18,27 and a previous market surveillance study in 2011 revealed a high rate of influenza A/H5N1 circulation in this setting. 25 To our knowledge, AIVs were detected in Cambodian LBMs during 2013 at a higher frequency than any other study published previously, 25,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34]…”

Predominance and geo-mapping of avian influenza H5N1 in poultry sectors in Egypt

“…It has also been reported that the virus survival time in the cold environment is enhanced (Paek et al, 2010;Kurmi et al, 2013). Previous reports claim that subtype H5N1 infections in poultry are associated with poultry densities and has been highly correlated with crop production (Bodbyl-Roels et al, 2011;Fuller et al, 2013;El-Masry et al, 2015).…”

“…The majority (approximately 81% of the broilers, 64% of the layers, 79% of the ducks and 39% of the turkey farms) are from Lower Egypt, while Middle Egypt (Cairo and Giza) represents the second largest (13, 29, 14 and 49%, respectively). The remainder of commercial farms are found in Upper Egypt (Jones, 2008).The backyard breeding and meat production (Sector four) often called the household poultry plays a key role the H5N1 dynamic in poultry in Egypt and have been shown to play significant roles in human and poultry infections (Abdel-Moneim et al, 2009;Abdelwhab and Hafez, 2011;El-Masry et al, 2015). This sector is characterized by randomly dispersed, small-sized, individually-owned household flocks that usually are raised as mixed bird species of different ages in Egypt (Fasina et al, 2016).…”

H5 Influenza Viruses in Egypt

“…The highest numbers of outbreaks have been recorded in Dakahliya, Monofiya, Kalyobiya, Sharqeia, Gharbia, and Giza Governor-ates, which are leading poultry-producing governorates in Egypt ( Fig. 2A; El-Zoghby et al 2013;Kayali et al 2016;ElMasry et al 2017;EMPRES 2019).…”