This Targeted Risk-based Avian Influenza Surveillance Plan is a nationwide sectoral document aiming to monitor and control avian influenza which remains a major challenge for Egypt's poultry sector, with endemic HPAI H5N1 infections and ongoing outbreaks linked to migratory birds. Live bird markets (LBMs) pose a high risk for virus transmission, necessitating continuous surveillance. The Plan plan adopts a risk-based approach to monitor circulating subtypes H5N1, H5N8, and H9N2, while also maintaining early warning systems for emerging strains. Given the widespread practice of poultry rearing on rooftops, which increases the risk of zoonotic spillover, strengthening surveillance and closing gaps in passive monitoring is critical to controlling the disease. The overarching objectives of the Plan are to (i) Assess the avian influenza (AI) situation in high-risk governorates; (ii) Detect the incursion of newly emerging AI subtypes in Egypt at an early stage as part of an early warning system; (iii) Collect appropriate samples for molecular surveillance to monitor potential virus mutations and conduct genetic characterization; (iv) Evaluate the role of different production and distribution sectors—including live bird markets (LBMs), farms, and households—in the spread of AI across regions and understand virus distribution by sector. The specific objectives of the Plan include (i) Identifying and defining the prevalence of circulating AI subtypes in Egypt by sector, species, and season; (ii) Analyzing virus epidemiology and seasonal patterns by comparing current data with previous years; (iii) Contributing to the evaluation and enhancement of the national AI control program; (iv) Identifying critical control points and proposing solutions to reduce viral load; (v) Enhancing viral isolation of H5N1, H5N8 high-pathogenic avian influenza, and H9N2 low-pathogenic avian influenza from different production sectors. The document outlines several key measures, including targeted risk-based surveillance in LBMs, domestic/wild bird interface monitoring, and surveillance in high poultry population villages. It emphasizes the need for monthly visits to selected LBMs over one year to collect samples and data. Recommendations include conducting laboratory tests on pooled samples for AI subtypes and maintaining a longitudinal database for AI distribution.
Égypte · 2024-01-01