INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15 No. 2, July December 2005

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR FAMILY POULTRY DEVELOPMENT RÉSEAU INTERNATIONAL POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE L'AVICULTURE FAMILIALE RED INTERNACIONAL PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LA AVICULTURA FAMILIAR INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15 No. 2, July December 2005 INFPD Newsletter Editor-in-Chief: Dr. E. Fallou Guèye, Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA), B.P. 2057, Dakar RP, Senegal, INFPD Coordinator: Prof. E. Babafunso Sonaiya, Department of Animal Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, or CONTENTS Guest Editorial... 1 Count your chickens before they are snatched - R.A.E.Pym... 1 Research Reports... 3 Sanitary and zootechnical impact of gastro-intestinal helminths of scavenging chickens of Gharb region, Morocco - T.Hassouni & D.Belghyti... 3 Method for checking label accuracy in barn and free-range eggs - N.G.Gregory, M.J.Gepp & P.J.Babidge... 7 Genetic structure of the indigenous chickens of Bhutan - K.Nidup, Penjor, P. Dorji, R.B.Gurung, P.Arasta & C.Moran... 8 Development Report... 9 The role of the World s Poultry Science Association (WPSA) in support of family poultry farming in developing countries - R.A.E.Pym, M.Evans, Q.M.E.Huque & A.M.Gibbins... 9 Publication Poultry Health and Production Principles and Practices - D.F.Adene News International Foundation for Science [Stockholm, Sweden] Houghton Trust travel grant [Cambs, United Kingdom] New FAO portal on Technology for Agriculture (TECA) [Rome, Italy] International Conference on Opportunities for village chickens to assist with poverty alleviation with special emphasis on the sustainable control of Newcastle disease in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania [5-7 October 2005] Regional Workshop on The Role of Village Poultry and Small Livestock in Reducing Poverty and Creating Food Security in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso [7-8 November 2005] Stop Press: Avian Influenza Potential risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) spreading through wild water bird migration and human activity Call for contributions on Avian Influenza and Family Poultry... 23

2 International Diary International Conference on Livestock Services Enhancing Rural Development in Beijing, P.R. China [16-22 April 2006] XV Congress of the World Veterinary Poultry Association in Beijing, R.P. China [12-16 September 2007] XXIII World s Poultry Congress in Brisbane, Australia [10-15 August 2008] INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 ii

3 Guest Editorial Count your chickens before they are snatched R.A.E. Pym School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Q. 4072, Australia, or [Dr Bob Pym has been involved with poultry courses and family poultry development projects in Indonesia, South Africa, The Philippines and Myanmar since His other main research interest since the mid 1960s has been in meat chicken genetics. He is the President of the Australian Branch of the World s Poultry Science Association (WPSA) and was active in the creation of the Small-scale Family Poultry Farming Working Group within the Asian Pacific Federation of WPSA. He was (July-December 2005) located with FAO in Rome as a Visiting Scientist supporting the organisation s family poultry farming programme.] Since reading Dr E. Fallou Guèye s thought-provoking editorial Family poultry must no longer be the hidden harvest in the last edition of the Newsletter, in my role at the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO, I have been engaged in a poultry gene-flow study which forms part of the organisation s large project on the State of the World s Animal Genetic Resources. Essentially the study is aimed at defining the present and projected contribution of hybrid broiler and layer genotypes to the production and consumption of poultry meat and eggs throughout the world, with a focus on developing countries. The points raised by Fallou were brought home to me very clearly in my frustration at attempting to obtain accurate and meaningful data. The study was necessarily restricted to chickens in the absence of any worthwhile data on indigenous and exotic genotypes in the other poultry species. There are almost no reliable statistics on the relative production and consumption of chicken meat and eggs from indigenous and hybrid broiler and layer genotypes in any of the developing countries. FAO statistics combine meat and eggs from the genotype groups (including the meat from spent layers), and the basis for calculating production and consumption in the rural regions, if it is attempted, is poorly defined. The one figure, which is quoted authoritatively from studies in a significant number of countries, is the proportion of the total chicken population made up by indigenous chickens. For many of the developing countries in Africa and Asia, the estimate varies between about 70 and 90 per cent. The difficulties in assessing the contribution to production from this notionally large number of birds are: does this include only chickens or other poultry species?; what is the age and sex composition of the indigenous birds?; are young chicks included?; and does it relate to the standing population or to annualised numbers? Once the population structure is known, further information is required on productivity, egg management practices, hatchability, mortality etc. In the statistics providing the numbers of broilers in each country, the issue of whether these are based on the standing versus annualised population is very important, since there may be as many as five batches per year. Presently, the above information is for the most part either unavailable or unclear. There are good reasons for this, since it is very difficult to obtain accurate data on production and consumption of indigenous birds in rural areas where chicken meat and eggs are produced by most families, making bird numbers and flock structure difficult to assess. There is no regulated marketing, and home consumption, barter and gifts account for a very significant component of the production. INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 1

4 All this begs the question as to why this information is important? There are elements within governments and within funding bodies who believe that, as part of the Green Revolution, rural indigenous poultry are a passing phase and that they will be largely replaced by the eggs and meat from hybrid broilers and layers, either produced in-country by large commercial enterprises or locally by small-scale intensive units. These beliefs remain largely unchallenged principally because there are insufficient good data to demonstrate the significant contribution (both past and present) that poultry meat and eggs from indigenous birds have made to the wellbeing of the rural poor in so many developing countries. It should be noted that, in most regions, indigenous poultry can make a much greater contribution to poverty alleviation, food security and the empowerment of women, through the adoption of better husbandry and disease control practices, as most of us who read this Newsletter are well aware of. What is frequently ignored by the Green Revolution proponents is that meat and eggs from indigenous chickens are preferred in most countries and regions to those from hybrid broilers and layers. In addition, the 70% of production costs of intensively reared poultry in the form of feeds is almost completely negated under the scavenging system of production. Furthermore, the large majority of the rural poor in most developing countries simply can not afford to buy chicken meat or eggs of either genotype. What this comes down to is that in most developing countries, there is a co-existence between a commercial chicken industry based on hybrid genotypes which essentially supplies the majority of the needs of the urban human population, and a rural poultry, mostly scavengingbased industry with genetically diverse indigenous birds, that meets the chicken meat and egg needs of the rural community, as well as a small to moderate proportion of the needs of the urban human population. This situation is under threat firstly from the ascendancy of the Green Revolution proponents in government and in funding agencies, which would see a reduction in development projects focussed on indigenous poultry in rural regions of developing countries, and secondly from governments that may be disposed to curtail or eliminate scavenging flocks in response to biosecurity concerns. The counter to these forces is the development of reliable data on the present and potential contribution of indigenous poultry production systems to productivity and to poverty alleviation and food security in the rural regions of developing countries. This would allow a proper understanding of the contribution made, which should lead to considered and appropriate responses from both governments and funding agencies. Whilst much of the preceding discussion has focussed on chickens, it is important that the present and potential contribution of the other relevant poultry species be also properly assessed. It is not unlikely that there is a significant body of relevant data from past surveys and monitoring studies conducted by government authorities and within NGO and bilateral aid development projects. The initial challenge is in accessing the data and collating them. Once this has been done, it should be possible to identify where the deficiencies lie and to propose appropriate means of collecting and collating the required data. Given the importance and global nature of the activity, it is proposed that it should be instigated and coordinated by FAO, but contributed to by governments, funding bodies, those of us in INFPD and the World s Poultry Science Association (WPSA, as well as the other village/family poultry support networks that have an interest in improving the wellbeing of the rural poor in developing countries through village poultry production. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 2

5 Research Reports RESEARCH REPORT No 1 (ORIGINAL SUBMISSION): Sanitary and zootechnical impact of gastro-intestinal helminths of scavenging chickens of Gharb region, Morocco T. Hassouni et D. Belghyti Université Ibn Tofail, Faculté de Sciences Kenitra, Laboratoire de Parasitologie et d Hydrobiologie, B.P. 133, CP 14000, Kenitra, Maroc, Tel: (+212) / , Fax: (+212) , <thassouni@yahoo.fr> et <belghyti@hotmail.com> ABSTRACT In the Gharb region of Morocco, the epidemiology of gastro-intestinal helminth infestation was studied using post-mortem examination, for a year (October September 2005). Specific diversity, prevalence and seasonal changes were determined in 150 chickens raised under traditional management system. The most prevalent parasites were identified to be: Heterakis gallinarum, Ascaridia galli, Capillaria annulata, Capillaria obsignata, Subulura brumpti, Cheilospirura hamulosa, Dispharynx nasuta, Tetrameres americana for nematodes. Five species of cestodes were identified, namely Raillietina cesticillus, Raillietina tretragona, Hymenolepis contaniana, Hymenolepis carioca, Raillietina echinobothrida. Only one species of trematodes was identified, i.e. Notocotylus gallinarum. The overall infestation rate was 81.3%. The season had a significant impact on the parasitism prevalence (P < 0.05). The Spearman test indicates a positive correlation between the host weight and the total number of parasites (r = +0.98; P < 0.01). The study shows, for the first time, the distribution of parasitic diseases in chickens in Morocco. This information needs to be used to launch appropriate control strategies against these parasites. Key words: Cestodes, epidemiology, local chickens, Morocco, nematodes, tract digestive INTRODUCTION Traditional free-range poultry is of great importance in rural production systems, especially for the women living in rural areas. Chickens and eggs provide an important source of protein for poor families and give small cash income when sold at markets. Important factors in the continuing growth of the poultry industry in Morocco include: the rapid demographic expansion, the ease and efficiency of poultry to convert vegetable protein into animal protein. But in spite of this situation, poultry production is facing a certain number of constraints which handicap the optimal profitability of the farms. These are, in particular, pathologies such as bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases (Kichou et al., 1999; Hassouni et al., 2004). Knowing the epidemiology of poultry diseases is a precondition to the setting-up of adequate control strategies. In Africa, traditional backyard poultry husbandry exposes chickens to many types of gastrointestinal parasites. It is essential to acquire a good knowledge of potential pathology by the identification of the principal parasite species in domestic chickens in relation to their seasonal dynamics. INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 3

6 The present article highlights results of a parasitological survey conducted in chickens raised under extensive conditions. The aim of the survey is to study gastrointestinal helminths encountered in the Gharb region, to assess their prevalence, and to evaluate the influence of season and chicken weight in relation to the rate of infestation in birds. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was carried out in the Gharb region. The area of Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen was divided into two provinces, Kenitra and Sidi Kacem that extend over an area of 8805 km 2, accounting for 1.2% of the total area of the country. Its rural population makes up around 60% of the total population of the region. The choice of this part of the country was related to the importance of poultry farming and its contribution to the production of animal protein. From October 2004 to September 2005, 150 chickens were necropsied. Each part of the digestive tract was isolated by ligatures and examined separately for helminth parasites. Harvest and enumeration of the metazoan parasite were made under a binocular magnifying glass. These endoparasites were then put into preservation liquid. Nematodes were preserved in 70% ethanol; trematodes and cestodes were preserved in A.F.A solution; stained in a carmine solution and mounted in Canada balsam. Nematodes were lightened in berlese solution and observed under microscope at 40 magnification (Belghyti et al., 1997). The helminth species were identified through diagnosed morphological characteristics according to Soulsby (1982) and Khalil et al. (1994). Statistical analysis was run using the SPS software. Variation in the percentages of gastrointestinal helminth in relation to the season was analysed using the bilateral test at the 5% level. Spearman test was applied for the analysis of associations between parasite numbers and the weight of the host. RESULTS Out of 150 studied chickens, 122 were found to be infested with gastrointestinal helminths. The following endoparasites (prevalence in percent) were identified: Heterakis gallinarum (90%), Subulura brumpti (88%), Ascaridia galli (49%), Capillaria annulata (37%), Capillaria obsignata (31%), Cheilospirura hamulosa (10%), Dispharynx nasuta (5%), Tetrameres americana (17%), Raillietina cesticillus (55%), Raillietina tretragona (51%), Hymenolepis contaniana (21%), Hymenolepis carioca (19%), Raillietina echinobothrida (16%), Notocotylus gallinarum (3%). The distribution of chicken infestations according to the season appears in Table 1. The prevalence of infestations in poultry was significantly higher during the rainy season (P < 0.05). Figure 1 shows the effect of weight of the host on parasitism. It was observed that the weight of the host has an influence on the rate of parasitic infestation (r = +0.97; P < 0.01). INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 4

7 Tableau 1: Distribution of the parasitic infestations in chickens (Gallus domesticus) raised under traditional conditions according to the season. Rainy season Dry season Number of studied animals Percentage of infestation 96± ± 0.47 (Mean ± standard deviation) Level of significance P < 0.05 Number of parasites Weight of host (g) Figure 1: Association between the total number of parasites and weight of the host. DISCUSSION In the present study, fourteen helminth species were identified as major parasites found in scavenging chickens in Gharb area of Morocco. Overall prevalence rate in birds seemed to be rather high (81.3%). This rate is comparable to that recorded in Sudan by Saad et al. (1989) and lower to the figure reported by Fatihu et al. (1991). But the number of parasitic species identified in the present study is higher than that reported in Bangladesh and Ethiopia (Akhtar, 1987; Eshetu et al., 2001; Ashenafi and Eshetu, 2004). In Tanzania, Permin et al. (1997) reported in humid area, 19 species of nematodes with higher pre- INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 5

8 dominance of Heterakis gallinarum and 10 species of cestodes. On the other hand these authors had not identified the digenea Notocotylus gallinarum. These results suggest that the geographical variations influence the diversity of the parasitic distribution (Poulsin et al., 2000). In the present study, the most frequently identified parasite species were Subulura brumpti, Heterakis gallinarum et Ascaridia galli. They are followed by two cestodes Raillietina cesticillus et Raillietina tretragona, with prevalence rates varying from 49 to 90%. The high prevalence of these species was most likely caused by good appetite of chickens for earthworms, insects and acarids as well as the presence intermediate hosts (Anderson, 1992). It was found that the parasitic prevalence of helminth species was influenced by the season. This result is in agreement with findings previously reported by other authors. Indeed, Pandey et al. (1992) reported very high percentages of infestation during the rainy season while Permin et al. (1997) showed that the season did not have any effect on the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in the Tanzanian study area. The analysis showed that the total number of helminths increases according to the weight of the host. Numerous mechanisms can be mentioned to explain this. In smallsized chickens, small intestinal surfaces would make it difficult to harbour many parasitic helminths. In contrast, large-sized birds offer larger intestinal surfaces. Moreover, husbandry practices in visited households were similar, and the absence of change in diets in relation to the increased age of the host raises the likelihood that larvae are harboured in the oldest chickens. This observation is similar to the one made by Zeller (1988). CONCLUSION Family poultry raised under traditional extensive system in Morocco was exposed to a wide variety of gastrointestinal helminths. These infestations, which are associated with their indiscriminate scavenging behaviour, might have hygienic and economic consequences. Survival strategies of gastrointestinal parasites must be investigated so as to design and implement efficient control measures against these infestations and improve the productivity of this activity. REFERENCES Akhtar, H. (1987): Gastrointestinal nematodes from domestic fowl. Bangladesh J. of Zoology 15: Anderson, R.C. (1992): Nematodes parasites of vertebrates. Their development and transmission. CAB International. University Press, Cambridge, UK, 578 pp. Ashenafi, H., Eshetu, Y. (2004): Study on gastrointestinal helminths of local chickens in Central Ethiopia. Rev. Méd Vet. 10: Belghyti, D., Berrada-Rkhami, O., Boy, V., Aguesse, P., Gabrion, C. (1997): Population biology of two helminth parasites of flatfishes from the Atlantic coast of Morocco. J. Fish Biology 44: Eshetu, Y., Mulualem, E., Ibrahim, H., Berhanu., Aberra, K. (2001): Study of gastro-intestinal helminths of scavenging chickens in four rural districts of Amhara region, Ethiopia. Rev. sc. tech. off. int. epiz. 3: Fatihu, M.Y., Ogbogu, V.C., Njoku, C.O., Saror, D.I. (1991): Comparative studies of gastrointestinal helminths of poultry in Zaria, Nigeria. Rev. Elev. Méd. Vet. Pays. trop. 44: Hassouni, T., Belghyti, D., El Madhi, Y. (2004): Etude de parasitisme chez le poulet d élevage intensif dans la ville de INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 6

9 Kénitra. Cahier de Biologie, Santé et Environnement N 1: Khalil, L.F., Jones, A., Bray, R.A. (1994): Keys to the cestodes parasites of vertebrates, International Institute of Parasitology, CAB International, UK. Kichou, F., EL Youssoufi, G., Bikour, H., Jaouzi, T., Benaazzou, H. (1999): Isolation, identification and pathogenicity of Moroccan field isolates of infectious bursal disease virus. Proc. 48th Western Poultry Disease Conference, Vancouver, Canada. Pandey, V.S., Demy, F., Verhulst, A. (1992): Parasitic diseases: a neglected problem in village poultry in Sub-Saharan Africa. Proceedings of an International Workshop on Village Poultry Production in Africa (Pandey, V.S. and Demey, F., Eds), Rabat, Morocco, pp Permin, A., Magwischa, H., Kassuku, A.A., Nansen, P., Bisgaard, M., Frandsen, F., Gibbons, L. (1997): A crosssectional study of helminths in rural scavenging poultry in Tanzania in relation to season and climate. J. Helminthology 71: Poulsin, J., Permin, A., Hindsbo, O., Yelifari, L., Nansen, P., Bloch, P. (2000): Prevalence and distribution of gastrointestinal helminths and haemoparasites in young scavenging chickens in upper eastern region of Ghana, West Africa. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 45: Saad, M.B., El Sadig, A.A., Shammat, A.M. (1989): Helminth parasites of the local breed of poultry in Kordofan region. Sudan Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry 28: Soulsby, E.J.L. (1982): Helminths, Arthropods and Protozoa of Domesticated Animals. Bailliere Tindall, 7th ed., London, UK. Zeller, B. (1987): Comparative studies on the endoparasites of domestic fowls (Gallus gallus domesticus) in commercial and fancy breed flocks. Ph.D. Thesis, Ludwig Maximalian Universität, Münich, Germany. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RESEARCH REPORT No 2: Method for checking label accuracy in barn and free-range eggs Neville G. Gregory 1 *, Mark J. Gepp 2 and Peter J. Babidge 2 1 BBSRC and Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK 2 SARDI, Flaxley Agricultural Centre, P.O. Box 1571, Flaxley SA 5153, Australia * Corresponding author: Neville G. Gregory, BBSRC and Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK, <ngregory@rvc.ac.uk> [Full article published in the Volume 85 (Issue 9, July 2005) of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, website: ABSTRACT The aim was to develop a method for testing whether eggs sold as either barn or free-range were laid under cage conditions. The surface patterns on eggs from cage, barn and free-range production systems were examined under ultraviolet light for distinctive fluorescent marks associated with each production system. In addition, the effects of egg washing, egg size, condensation and cage dusting on the prevalence of the fluorescent patterns associated with the cage production system were examined. The prevalence of fluorescent white double parallel lines with cm spacing was a distinguishing feature for eggs laid on wire floors in INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 7

10 cages. If five or more eggs in a sample of 90 eggs have double fluorescent lines it can be concluded with greater than 999 in 1000 probability that the batch contains some cage-laid eggs. Dust from the egg collection area below the feed trough was the main source of the fluorescent Copyright 2005 Society of Chemical Industry material. Washing the eggs removed or obscured the double lines. Egg size and condensation had limited effects on the prevalence of double lines. Infrequent dusting of the wire floor did not reduce the value of the test. Key words: eggs, barn, free-range, shell, ultraviolet, washing, dust, fraud, method ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RESEARCH REPORT No 3: Genetic structure of the indigenous chickens of Bhutan K. Nidup 1 *, Penjor 1, P. Dorji 1, R.B. Gurung 2, P. Arasta 3 and C. Moran 3 1 Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Natural Resources Training Institute, Royal University of Bhutan, Lobesa, Bhutan. 2 Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Bumthang, Bhutan. 3 Faculty of Veterinary Science, Centre for Advanced Technologies in Animal Genetics and Reproduction (REPROGEN), Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Australia. * Corresponding author: Karma Nidup, Lecturer, NRTI, Bhutan, <kn@druknet.bt> or <knidup@gmail.com>, Fax: (Work) (Home), Fax: [The full document is published in the December 2005 Issue of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Journal of Agriculture, website: saic-dhaka.org/sjamain.htm] ABSTRACT The indigenous chickens of Bhutan today make up approximately 95% of the total rural chicken population. They have nutritional, cultural and traditional roles, and have been invaluable resource for the livelihood of the Bhutanese farmers. This study aims to trace origin and assess the genetic diversity of indigenous chickens of Bhutan. To achieve this, mitochondrial DNA (mtdna) was used because of its maternal inheritance, haploidy, and rapid rate of evolution. The entire mtdna displacement loop (D-loop) region of eight different Bhutanese indigenous chicken lines was amplified with polymerase chain reaction. The amplified DNAs were purified, cloned and sequenced. The partial D-loop sequences (500 bp) of four jungle fowls reported in the GenBank were retrieved together with entire D-loop sequences of five other domestic chickens. Both partial ( 500 bp) and entire (1232 bp) D-loop sequences were analysed using various phylogenetic methods. A dendrogram constructed from partial D-loop sequences using Neighbour-Joining (NJ) method suggest that indigenous chickens of Bhutan have originated from Red Jungle Fowl in spite of their close geographical location with Indian Grey Jungle Fowl. The analysis of entire D-loop sequences using NJ, Fitch, and Maximum Likelihood methods suggest matrilineal mtdna sequence variation and genetic diversity among Bhutanese chickens. These findings are useful as a prerequisite database for conservation and promotion of indigenous chicken resources in Bhutan. Key words: Mitochondrial DNA, D-loop, DNA sequences, Bhutan, indigenous chickens, phylogenetic, genetic diversity INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 8

11 Development Report DEVELPMENT REPORT No 1: The role of the World s Poultry Science Association (WPSA) in support of family poultry farming in developing countries R.A.E. Pym 1 *, M. Evans 2, Q.M.E. Huque 3 and A.M. Gibbins 4 1 School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Q. 4072, Australia 2 Applied Nutrition Pty Ltd, 1 Seven Oaks Street, Alexandra Hills Q. 4161, Australia 3 Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Savar, Dhaka 1341, Bangladesh Tarata Road, RD 7 Inglewood, 4651, New Zealand * Corresponding author: Tel: , Fax: , <r.pym@uq.edu.au> or <bobpym@yahoo.com> [This paper was presented first at the International Conference on Opportunities for village chickens to assist with poverty alleviation with special emphasis on the sustainable control of Newcastle disease held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, from 5 to 7 October 2005] ABSTRACT The World s Poultry Science Association (WPSA), with more than 7000 members across 74 countries, has played an increasingly important role in the promotion and support for family poultry farming in the developing countries of the world. Through the organisation of workshops, symposia, regional conferences and World s Poultry Congresses, WPSA has facilitated information exchange in all aspects of poultry science, technology and production for many years. At these forums over the past 15 years, an increasingly greater emphasis has been given to family poultry farming issues. The International Network on Family Poultry Development (INFPD) is now a global working group of WPSA and a Working Group on Small- Scale Family Poultry Farming has recently been established within the Asian Pacific Federation of WPSA. There is a need at this time for a greater degree of collaboration and coordination of the activities of the bodies and agencies supporting family poultry farming in developing countries, in order to maximise the benefits globally to smallholder poultry farming families. It is suggested that a working group be set up with representation from the various bodies and agencies, to establish and maintain communications, and coordinate their respective activities in support of family poultry farming. INTRODUCTION The World s Poultry Science Association (WPSA, has over 7000 members in 74 countries around the world. The objectives of the association are to promote the advancement of knowledge of all aspects of poultry science and the poultry industry world wide, principally by facilitating exchange of information through the organisation of group meetings, regional conferences and World s Poultry Congresses. To promote membership of the organisation in developing countries, the cost of belonging to the world association in those branches is only half that of the membership of branches in the developed countries. All members receive copies of the World s Poultry Science Journal, published quarterly and now in its sixty-first year of publication. INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 9

12 There are currently two Federations within WPSA viz The Federation of European Branches and the Federation of Asian Pacific Branches. Thirteen working groups have been established over the years within the European Federation, covering such areas as genetics and breeding, nutrition, meat and egg quality, poultry welfare, physiology, education and information, turkeys and ratites, to name some. These working groups have been involved in the organisation of focussed workshops, symposia and conferences. Recently, the Asian Pacific Federation established their first working group on Small-Scale Family Poultry Farming. In 1992 the Netherlands branch of WPSA organised the 19th World s Poultry Congress in Amsterdam, and it was here for the first time that a World s Congress program had included a significant number of papers focussed on village/ family poultry farming in plenary, symposia and poster sessions. The increasing awareness of the importance of chickens and other poultry to rural and peri-urban communities in developing countries in their impact on poverty alleviation, income generation and food security, was beginning to be recognised by the mainstream poultry scientific community, if not by certain livestock development agencies. Since then, all World s Poultry Congresses have devoted a significant proportion of the program to discussion of aspects of family poultry farming in developing countries. At the 22nd World s Poultry Congress held in Istanbul, Turkey, in June 2004, the opening session was entitled Global Challenges and Benefits Related to Poultry R&D in the Third World signifying the recognised high importance of this area of study. THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR FAMILY POULTRY DEVELOPMENT (INFPD) The International Network for Family Poultry Development (INFPD), as a global working group of WPSA, is an The network, which started as the African Network for independent association supported by the Animal Production and Health (AGA) Division of the Food and Agricul- the International Workshop on Rural Poultry Develop- Rural Poultry Development (ANRPD), was set up during tural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and administered by a seven member executive committee. The name was changed to INFPD at the ANRPD General ment in Africa held in November 1989 in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. INFPD is mainly an Information Exchange Network, Meeting which took place in M Bour, Senegal, in December Support for the network continues to be whose objective is to encourage sustainable high levels of productivity within the family poultry farming sub-sector provided by a number of international organisations including FAO, IFAD (International Fund for Agriculture and in so doing, facilitate income generation, alleviate poverty, improve family nutritional standards and contribute meaningfully to food security. The focus of action International Development Assistance), the Danish Inter- Development of the United Nations), DANIDA (Danish of the network has so far been to collect data and detailed national Development Agency, CTA (Technical Centre information about family poultry production systems in for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, Wageningen, The the different regions, with the aim of providing sound Netherlands) and IDRC (International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada). At the 11th European information and advice for application by small-scale poultry farmers. Information is disseminated through a Poultry Conference in Bremen in September 2002, the trilingual (English, French and Spanish) newsletter which WPSA Executive Council approved the establishment of is produced twice a year. The INFPD Newsletter is edited INFPD as a global working group within WPSA. The by Dr E. Fallou Guèye and is distributed electronically coordinator of INFPD, Professor Babafunso Sonaiya from with a printed version for members without facilities. Members of the Network include researchers, Nigeria, is the chairperson of the global working group. policy INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 10

13 makers, educators, staff of development agencies (NGO s), aid donors and smallholder farmers. To date, however, only a small number of INFPD members have joined WPSA. WPSA ASIAN PACIFIC FEDERATION WORKING GROUP ON FAMILY POULTRY FARMING The inaugural meeting of the Asian Pacific Federation of achieve those goals were developed during the inaugural WPSA s Working Group on Family Poultry farming was meeting. To achieve its prime aim of supporting smallscale family poultry farming in the Asian Pacific region, held at the 4th International Poultry Show and Seminar in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 11 March The working the working group will facilitate the transfer and sharing group was mooted at the 21st World s Poultry Congress of information, knowledge and practical experience by in Montreal in 2000 and was championed by Dr Bruce organising and securing funding for workshops and meetings as well as providing suitable literature either directly Sheldon, the Senior Vice-president of WPSA, until his sad passing in April Dr Quazi Huque from Bangladesh was elected Chair of the Working group at the 7th One of the aims of the Working group is to establish firm or through the branches of the Asian Pacific Federation. WPSA Asian Pacific Federation Conference at the Gold linkages with INFPD, FAO, The Danish Network on Coast, Australia in October 2002, but it was not until Smallholder Poultry Development, The International shortly before the Inaugural meeting in Dhaka that Dr Rural Poultry Centre of the Kyeema Foundation, The Michael Evans from Australia was elected to the position United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and of Secretary of the working group. The purpose behind other development organisations and agencies. the establishment of the Working Group under the Asian Pacific Federation at that time was to give WPSA a direct The next meeting of the Working group will likely be involvement in this increasingly important area and to held in conjunction with the 8th WPSA Asian Pacific provide some degree of global balance to the support Federation Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, in March given to family poultry farming through the INFPD, For that meeting, the country representatives have whose focus up until then, had been primarily on the been asked to develop a plan which identifies their country s particular needs with respect to family poultry farm- African continent. ing. Tentative plans are underway to hold a workshop on Each member country of the Asian Pacific Federation is family poultry farming immediately prior to this in Bhutan. It is hoped that the workshop, which will also serve represented on the working group by two members, either elected or nominated by the WPSA branch in the country. as the launch of a WPSA branch in Bhutan, will be sponsored by WPSA, FAO and the Kyeema Goals for the working group, and the actions required to Foundation. ACTIVITIES TO ASSIST TSUNAMI VICTIMS WPSA sponsored the attendance at the Dhaka symposium and working group meeting of two people each from the WPSA Sri Lankan and Indonesian branches, with the purpose of discussing with them ways in which WPSA might assist in tsunami relief in the two countries through support for some aspect of poultry production. Reports were presented to the meeting by the representatives from each country as to the dramatic impact of the tsunami on the people in general and on those engaged in poultry farming in particular. Subsequent to the meeting, the Working Group received a focussed application from the Sri Lankan branch to assist with reconstruction in three provinces across small-scale broiler, layer and backyard units. The application has been distributed to various WPSA branches and, in Australia, as an example, it has been sent along with the branch s endorsement and support, to more than 20 NGOs who have received funding for tsunami relief work. A meeting to discuss tsunami relief requirements has INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 11

14 recently been held in Bogor, Indonesia, to which the President of the WPSA Asian Pacific Federation was invited. It is likely that proposals similar to that from Sri Lanka will be developed, for which WPSA will again play a role as funding facilitators and also as a possible source of technical expertise in the required reconstruction. THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION BETWEEN AGENCIES SUPPORTING FAMILY POULTRY FARMING There is a significant number of bodies and agencies would seem to be a need for a greater level of involvement and technical input from poultry scientists into the involved in the support of family poultry development globally, however, the degree of communication between poultry support programs pursued by the myriad of them has been, for the most part, less than optimal. Finite, NGOs, many of them with limited technical backing. and in many cases shrinking funding, argues a strong case Further, a not insignificant number of aid projects have for greater cooperation and collaboration between the been too narrowly focussed with inadequate recognition bodies to maximise the benefits to smallholder poultry of the complex production systems that are inherent in families. Through the staging of workshops, symposia, smallholder poultry operations, and of the need for participatory involvement. conferences, World s Poultry Congresses and Federation meetings, FAO, INFPD, WPSA, DANIDA, AusAID (Australian Agency for International Development) and It is proposed that the above outcomes might be best ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural achieved through the development, albeit informally at Research) have brought many of the players from the this stage, of a working group across the major bodies and various bodies and agencies together in forums for discussion, but there needs to be a greater degree of communi- communications and to coordinate the activities of the agencies at least, whose aim is to develop and maintain cation and follow-up to these meetings in order to achieve bodies in question in support of family poultry farming. a united approach to a global programme of work. There ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 12

15 Publication Poultry Health and Production Principles and Practices This 299-page book, with its 24 chapters, consists of eight sections covering the following aspects: (1) Elements of economics in poultry health, (2) Hygiene, (3) Management in breeders and hatchery, (4) Disease problems and control, (5) Local regional and global perspectives on poultry health, (6) Nutrition and poultry health, (7) Quality assurance, and (8) Rural poultry development. It therefore presents a unique coverage of these inter-dependent aspects of integrated poultry production, by drawing from published and field experience on Nigeria s developing poultry industry. This, together with the inclusion of two chapters on Integrated Rural Poultry Development Scheme and Sustainable Indigenous Poultry Management & Development Programme respectively, captures some spheres of interest to international bodies like the INFPD, CTA and FAO while highlighting the epizootiologic linkages between the industrial and rural/family poultry sub-sectors. It is the book for teachers, students, policy operatives and poultry practitioners on a fuller insight into the challenges, operating dynamics and objective realities of development in localities and regions where industrial and family poultry must of necessity evolve in parallel, for the inevitable actualization of their roles in food production generally but also for commerce on the one hand and poverty alleviation on the other. The first edition of this publication, which is available only in English, can be obtained from the author (Prof. Daniel Foluso Adene, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, <foluadene@yahoo.com>) and interested distributors (hereby solicited) at USD 15.0 wholesale or USD18.5 retail. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 13

16 News International Foundation for Science [Stockholm, Sweden] THE ORGANISATION The International Foundation for Science (IFS) is a NGO (non-governmental organisation) founded in Funding comes from governmental and non-governmental sources, as well as national and international organisations. The annual budget is approximately USD 5 million. IFS has 135 Affiliated Organisations in 86 countries, of which three-quarters are in developing countries and one-quarter in industrial countries. IFS has an international Board of Trustees. The IFS Secretariat is located in Stockholm, Sweden. THE MISSION IFS shall contribute towards strengthening the capacity of developing countries to conduct relevant and high quality research on the sustainable management of biological resources. This will involve the study of physical, chemical, and biological processes, as well as relevant social and economic aspects, important in the conservation, production, and renewable utilisation of the natural resources base. To further this goal, IFS supports young developing country scientists who have the potential for becoming the future research leaders and lead scientists in their nations. THE GRANTING PROGRAMME The support provided by IFS is primarily in the form of an IFS Research Grant, which amounts to USD 12,000 and may be renewed twice. It is intended for the purchase of the basic tools needed to conduct a research project: equipment, expendable supplies, and literature. Since 1974 there have been 3,500 IFS Grantees in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Of these 22% are women. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA The eligible candidate for an IFS Research grant is a citizen of a developing country; a scientist with at least a Master s or equivalent degree/research experience; under 40 years of age and at the beginning of research career; attached to a university, national research institution or a research-oriented NGO in a developing country. years of age. Researchers from Hong Kong SAR are not eligible for support from IFS. Researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa are eligible for IFS support up to the age of 45, provided they have completed their highest academic degree (MSc, MA, PhD, Post-Doc or equivalent) in the previous 5 years. Exceptions: China: Chinese applicants must be under 30 INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 14

17 KIND OF PROJECTS QUALIFY To qualify for IFS funding, research projects (including projects dealing with family poultry) must be related to the sustainable utilisation, conservation or management of the biological or water resource base; conducted in a developing country; of a high scientific standard; feasible; relevant for the country/region. APPLYING FOR AN IFS GRANT Applications for IFS Grants must be made on the IFS Application Form, in English or French. Application form is available on the IFS website ( A paper Application Form may be obtained by contacting the IFS Secretariat. Project proposals are welcome at the IFS Secretariat throughout the year. However, for administrative purposes, there are two application deadlines, 30 June and 31 December. Applicants are urged not to wait until the deadline. They are invited to submit their applications at least one month before. Applying earlier in the six-month cycle allows IFS staff to contact you for more information if needed. Detailed information relating to IFS, granting programme and application procedure can be obtained from the Secretariat, at the following address: International Foundation for Science (IFS), Karlavägen 108, 5th floor, SE Stockholm, Sweden, Tel: ; Fax: , <ifs@ifs.se>, Website: For research projects that deal with family poultry, you can contact: Dr Ingrid Leemans, IFS Scientific Programme Coordinator (responsible for Animal Production, Animal Health, Aquaculture), Tel: , <ingrid.leemans@ifs.se> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Houghton Trust travel grant [Cambs, United Kingdom] The objective of the Houghton Trust is the advancement of education in the pathology of avian species. The principal way in which the Trust achieves this is the publication of Avian Pathology. Royalties from the sale of Avian Pathology are used by the Trust to further the education process, principally by making grants to young scientists to enable them to participate in scientific meetings, visit laboratories or attend training courses in countries other than their own. Applicants are invited to read carefully the following points before completing the application form: (1) Travel and subsistence grants are awarded to attend scientific meetings, to visit appropriate laboratories for discussions and learning specific techniques and to attend training courses. (2) Grants are awarded only for the furtherance of study or research in the area of avian disease. (3) Awards are normally for periods not exceeding 14 days. (4) Applicants should not normally be more than 35 years of age at the time of travelling. (5) The application must be supported by a Supervisor/Head of Department/Director or equivalent. (6) Any published details of Conferences or Training courses or agreement of the host to receive the applicant should be attached to the application form. (7) The Houghton Trust reserves the right to make INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 15

18 awards in full or in part. (8) Applications will be considered either in late February, June and November. The closing dates for the receipt of applications for consideration at these meetings are 15 th February, 15 th June and 15 th November, respectively. (9) Successful applicants will be required to submit a short report (maximum 300 words) on the completion of their visit, describing how the meeting was useful to them. All or part of the report might be published in Aerosols, Newsletter of the World Veterinary Poultry Association ( and in the Newsletter of the British Veterinary Poultry Association ( unless the applicant specifically specifies otherwise. (10) Successful applicants will be required to obtain a Letter of Attendance from the organisers of the conference, course etc. and to submit this when seeking payment of the award. (11) When seeking payment of the award, successful applicants must include all relevant receipts or other proofs of payment PLUS the short report referred to in item (9) above. (12) Successful applicants should not claim the whole of the award from the Houghton Trust if their actual expenses are lower than the initial estimate on the Application Form or if they have been able to obtain money from additional sources such that they do not need to claim the whole of the Grant from the Houghton Trust. (13) Grants will not normally be allocated to employees of commercial enterprises. Please note that your application must be sent well in advance of the closing date for registration at the meeting etc. which you wish to attend. Application form can be requested from Dr Jane K A Cook, whose address is given below. Any application received after the registration closing date will not be considered by the Trust. Seven (7) copies of the completed application form must be returned to: Dr Jane K.A. Cook, Secretary, The Houghton Trust Ltd, 138 Hartford Road, Huntingdon, Cambs PE29 1XQ, United Kingdom, Tel: (+44) , <jane@hough.waitrose.com> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New FAO portal on Technology for Agriculture (TECA) [Rome, Italy] FAO s Research and Technology Development Service has just launched a new Technology for Agriculture (TECA) portal. It aims to improve access to information and knowledge about available proven technologies in order to enhance their adoption in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry as, very often, established technologies are not well documented and experiences of their application are rarely adequately described. The portal offers an array of tools including the TECA database currently containing over 500 entries organised in eight different categories (i.e. 1) production technology - animal production; 2) production technology - crop and horticultural production, grassland; 3) production technology - forest and NTFP (non timber forest products); 4) food and agricultural industries and post harvest - animal products; 5) food and agricultural industries and post harvest - crop and horticultural products; 6) food and agricultural industries and post harvest - forest and NTFP; 7) natural resources management; 8) fishery and fish culture. INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 16

19 The sections offered through the new specialised portal has been improved with sections containing news, events and articles, a virtual technolibrary, decision support tools for technology intervention, definitions related to technology, detailed information on partners, FAQs. For further details, visit the website or contact <Teca-editor@fao.org> Contact person: Francisco Lopez, Research and Technology Officer, FAO Research and Technology Service (SDRR), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy, Tel: (+39) (06) , <Francisco.Lopez@fao.org> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ International Conference on Opportunities for village chickens to assist with poverty alleviation with special emphasis on the sustainable control of Newcastle disease in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania [5-7 October 2005] The Conference was held at the Dar-es-Salaam International Conference Centre, Tanzania, from 5 to 7 October This scientific event, which marked the completion of the Southern Africa Newcastle Disease Control Project (SANDCP) financed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID, and led by Dr Robyn Alders, included 48 presentations on various aspects of village poultry production, from speakers from many parts of the world. The focus of the SANDCP project has been on poverty alleviation and improving food security by mitigating the impact of Newcastle disease (ND) on village poultry production in Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi. Many of the papers gave emphasis on the importance of controlling ND in small family flocks as a first step towards poverty alleviation, food security and the empowerment of women. A number of the papers focussed on the importance and efficacy of heat-tolerant ND vaccines for use in village flocks, due to the lack of a continuous cold-chain in most rural regions of developing countries. Dr Alders reported on the successes and challenges of ND control with four-monthly vaccination using I-2 heattolerant ND vaccine in the three target countries of the project, and preliminary results out of South Africa showed similar promise with another partially heattolerant vaccine. There were a number of reports from various countries of ND control programmes using a variety of vaccines, with special emphasis on the performance of another heat-tolerant injectable vaccine which has been used in West Africa for fifteen years. Technical issues relating to standards of ND vaccine manufacture and to subsequent handling requirements were addressed in a number of papers. As management of the small family poultry flock is traditionally in the hands of women in most developing countries of the world, a number of papers highlighted the impact of improved productivity in flocks on the empowerment of women, and the resulting improvement in family nutrition and food security. Related to this was the issue of the importance of gender during the selection of trainers and ND vaccinators. Other issues covered in papers included: the importance of appropriate and sustainable management strategies to minimise attrition rates in young chicks and maximise production; the importance of and techniques for facilitating community participation in rural development programmes; the role of village poultry in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS in rural households (many of them child-headed as a result of loss of or severe sickness in one or both parents); the respective role of government and private veterinary services in combating ND; and ILRI s (International Livestock Research Institute, role in defining poultry genetic resources in developing countries. INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 17

20 Dr Tata from the Animal Health Department of Indonesia and Dr Guerne Bleich from FAO provided overviews respectively on current control measures to deal with the outbreaks of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Indonesia and of the impact of HPAI outbreaks on four poultry sectors in five countries of South East Asia. Persuasive evidence for a link between wild duck populations and HPAI outbreaks in chicken flocks was presented. The profound impact of HPAI on the poultry industry in the affected countries and the potentially profound impact on the village poultry sector in particular were generally acknowledged. Participants from veterinary services in the various countries represented were very keen to obtain as much information as possible from the SE Asian experience to mitigate the impact of HPAI in their respective countries. There was considerable discussion as to the desirability for a proactive role of government veterinary services in this regard. Dr Emmanuelle Guerne-Bleich Dr R.A.E. Pym AGAP, FAO, Rome, Italy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Regional Workshop on The Role of Village Poultry and Small Livestock in Reducing Poverty and Creating Food Security in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso [7-8 November 2005] The Network for Smallholder Poultry Development organized an interdisciplinary workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 7 to 8 November The theme of the workshop was The Role of Village Poultry and Small Livestock in Reducing Poverty and Creating Food Security. BACKGROUND Danida-supported rural development programmes in Burkina Faso, Benin and Senegal, have shown remarkable results in terms of helping poor farmers stepping out of poverty by giving assistance to income-generating activities, empowerment of women groups and farmers organisations and development of smallholder credit and savings systems. Since 2000, the Network for Smallholder Poultry Development has been involved in project formulation and implementation, training of smallholders and higher education, applied research, and monitoring and evaluation. During the past 5 years, the Network and its partners have learned many important lessons with regard to the use of poultry as a tool for poverty reduction, food security and women s empowerment. Successes as well as failures of different programmes and approaches have been documented, both in West Africa and abroad, e.g. in countries such as Bangladesh. The experiences from West Africa play a vital role in the Network s understanding of the complexity of the systems involved in the implementation of smallholder poultry development projects and the potentials of different smallholder management strategies. Research on social and economic structures and processes have supported new and existing information relating to production and animal health. Altogether, these experiences form a valuable base for giving research-based advice and for formulating new interdisciplinary approaches for programme development. However, a number of areas remain where research and development still need to become better at going hand in hand to solve pertinent problems relating to livestock development in the West African region. INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 18

21 THE WORKSHOP The French title of the two-day workshop is Mouvements. It refers to the situation where livestock, livestock products, foods and people are all involved in continuous movements between rural and urban areas, across national borders, as well as from the farms to the markets and onto the consumers at the tables. The theme mouvements thus signifies that livestock development is NOT only about livestock, but rather a complex mixture of issues relating to markets, humans, food security, food safety, national policies and strategies. The workshop composed of 4 sessions: 1. Creating opportunities for the poor the role of village poultry in generating income and assuring food security; 2. Extension services from supply to demand driven; 3. Marketing of poultry products in West Africa; 4. Interdisciplinary research for development. The main working language of the workshop was French. However, translations into and from English were provided. Papers presented as well as other details relating to the workshop are posted on the website of the Network for Smallholder Poultry Development: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 19

22 Stop Press: Avian Influenza Potential risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) spreading through wild water bird migration and human activity INTRODUCTION The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), subtype H5N1, has been occurring in poultry in Southeast Asia since Until recently, the outbreaks were restricted to Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and China. But since late July 2005, the HPAI H5N1 virus has expanded in a north-westerly direction and Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkey, Romania, Croatia. Subsequently, Ukraine in December 2005 and Cyprus in February 2006 have reported outbreaks in poultry as well as in wild birds. The very recent outbreaks of HPAI reported for the first time in Nigeria, on the 6th of February 2006, open the floor for new risks/treats in other African countries. The first occurrence of the H5N1 virus into the African continent is of major concern, putting at immediate risk the livelihood of millions of people relying on poultry production for income generation and source of protein. If this situation gets out of control, it will have a devastating impact on the poultry population in the region and will increase the exposure of humans to the virus. ROLE OF WILD BIRDS Avian influenza in wild birds It has long been known that wild birds represent a reservoir for avian influenza (AI) viruses worldwide. Influenza A virus subtype H5 was isolated from samples taken from dead wild water birds. From April to June, 2005 more than 6000 migratory birds have been reported to have died due to H5N1 infection at the Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve in Qinghai Province, China. This included barheaded geese Anser indicus, great black-headed gulls Larus ichthyaetus, brown-headed gulls Larus brunnicephalus, ruddy shelducks Tadorna ferruginea and great cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo. In China (Tibet), the death of 133 breeding hens was reported, and H5N1 was isolated from samples from these birds. This situation is a concern because many of these birds are migratory and travel over long distances across international borders. Wild birds have been shown to introduce novel influenza gene segments into a population, that when re-assorted with existing viruses can generate a dissimilar virus with different antigenic and other biological characteristics. The influenza viruses are easily spread by fomites and survive and spread well in water. Furthermore, certain species of ducks are able to carry influenza viruses without exhibiting any clinical symptoms of disease. Juvenile ducks have the highest rates of infection and shedding. High titres of virus occur in late-summer, when birds leave their northern breeding areas, although these titres decrease as birds continue southwards. Migratory routes New outbreaks suggest that this highly pathogenic H5N1 virus is spreading progressively south-westwards and not restricted to the Southeast Asian focus, where the outbreaks of AI started in mid In Russia and Kazakhstan, contact between domestic poultry and wild waterfowl at open water reservoirs is considered the primary source of infection for poultry. Epidemiology investigations are still on-going, but there is a potential risk that INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 20

23 HPAI subtype H5N1 might be carried along migration routes of wild water birds to densely populated areas in the south Asian subcontinent and along migratory flyways to Africa and Europe. Recent outbreaks of HPAI in August 2005 (Russia and Kazakhstan), in October 2005 (Turkey, Romania and Croatia), in December 2005 (Ukraine) and in February 2006 (Cyprus and Nigeria) may be suggestive of the role of wild birds in the epidemiology of HPAI. The complex overlapping of major flyways (Figure 1) and the lack of information on migratory bird species potentially involved in AI disease spread make simple association of wild bird flyways with outbreaks of AI difficult. Figure 1: HPAI outbreaks in 2005 and the major flyways of migratory birds. Source: Wetlands International EMPRES (Emergency Prevention System) The exact risk will likely depend on the identification of specific migratory species that carry H5 viruses without suffering the disease, and knowledge of their resting areas and wintering grounds combined with the existing production poultry systems and husbandry. Bird migration routes run across southwest Asia and some Mediterranean countries, where bird flu outbreaks could possibly occur. India and Bangladesh, which currently have no indication of disease, are at risk. Bangladesh in particular, and to a lesser extent India, harbour large numbers of domestic ducks and the countries are situated along one of the major migratory routes. The countries have the potential to become new large endemic foci of H5N1 infection. Additionally, the spring migration of 2006 may result in the spread of HPAI H5N1 virus further across Europe and North Africa since birds migrating from southern zones will have intermingled with European Russia and Siberiaorigin birds at the 2005/2006 winter nesting areas. INFPD Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2 21