OIE: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Thailand

Information received on 23/01/2008 from Miss Chaweewan Leowijuk, Deputy Director General , Department of Livestock Development , Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Bangkok, Thailand

Summary

Report type	Immediate notification
Start date	18/01/2008
Date of first confirmation of the event	22/01/2008
Report date	23/01/2008
Date submitted to OIE	24/01/2008
Reason for notification	Reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence	06/2007
Manifestation of disease	Clinical disease
Causal agent	Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype	H5
Nature of diagnosis	Suspicion, Clinical, Laboratory (advanced), Necropsy
This event pertains to	a defined zone within the country

New outbreaks

Summary of outbreaks

Total outbreaks: 1

Outbreak Location

· NAKHON SAWAN (Village No. 3, PiKul, ChumSaeng)

Total animals affected

Species	Susceptible	Cases	Deaths	Destroyed	Slaughtered
Birds	59670	4085	4085	55585	0

Outbreak statistics

Species	Apparent morbidity rate	Apparent mortality rate	Apparent case fatality rate	Proportion susceptible animals lost*
Birds	6.85%	6.85%	100.00%	100.00%

* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter

Description of Affected Population

broiler chickens from a commercial farm housed above a fish pond.

Epidemiology

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection	· Under investigation
Epidemiological comments	The event started on 18 January and was discovered by the veterinary authority on 21 January 2008, during Thailand´s routine intensive surveillance using clinical observation. Upon notification, the intensive investigation, sample collection for laboratory confirmation and culling of the remaining chickens were immediately commenced.

Control measures

Measures applied

· Stamping out

· Quarantine

· Movement control inside the country

· Screening

· Zoning

· Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s)

· Dipping / Spraying

· Vaccination prohibited

· No treatment of affected animals

Measures to be applied

· No other measures

Diagnostic test results

Laboratory name and type

Lower Northern Veterinary Research and Development (Phitsanulok) Center, Department of Livestock Development (Local laboratory)

Tests and results

Species	Test	Test date	Result
Birds	haemagglutination (HA) test		Pending
Birds	haemagglutination inhibition test (HIT)		Pending
Birds	real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR)	22/01/2008	Positive
Birds	reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)		Pending
Birds	virus isolation		Pending