HPAI surveillance

Geographic Coverage: Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Duration: June 2008 – December 2009

Funding: $US 260.000

Donor: ILRI using USAID funds

Partners: FAO ECTAD, Departments of Veterinary Services

Beneficiaries: Poultry producers in participating countries, national AI task forces, private sector and consumers.

Goal: The main objective is to enhance early detection of HPAI capacity of participating countries

Specific Objective: To implement surveillance for HPAI in rural poultry production systems in view of increasing capacity for early detection in order to maintain the HPAI disease free status in the SADC region.

Expected Results: Regular submission of filed samples to laboratories.

Main activities: The project pilots the approach of scanning surveillance, i.e. strong reporting of problems by the keepers of birds, supported by targeted surveillance, searching for disease around suspect cases.

In all participating countries a step-wise approach is applied:

• Training of field personnel on variuos subject matters including but not limited to; (i) early recognition and reporting of HPAI; (ii) field and laboratory diagnosis of HPAI; (iii) effective and efficient communication on HPAI.
• Increase HPAI awareness within the farming community and encourage prompt reporting of sick birds.
• Extension/veterinary field staff are supplied with sampling material and harmonized disease investigation record sheets.
• Newcastle disease vaccination campaigns in all participating countries are utilized as the vehicle to operationalise the surveillance in HPAI risk areas. The ND vaccination is a national task and not funded by the project, however, it is reinforced through the teaming up with surveillance personnel.
• The project will ensure that field samples are taken promptly to the National Veterinary laboratories for analysis.
• The laboratories will be adequately equipped under OSRO/RAF/719/USA for serological testing of the samples. In case of further tests required, they will be forwarded to the regional Reference Laboratory, OVI or the second service laboratory for HPAI in Botswana.