Evaluating surveillance in wild birds by the application of risk assessment of avian influenza introduction into Spain.
Early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in its natural reservoirs is a prerequisite for preventing disease spread to humans. The risk of introduction of H5N1 HPAI was assessed in order to design a risk-based surveillance system in Spain. Areas at highest risk for H5N1 HPAI followed a northeast-southwest direction, with two significant clusters located in the north and the southwest of the country. Most (83%) of the veterinary units (VUs) obtained fewer samples than would have been expected if samples had been collected using a risk-based design. In October 2009, a HPAI outbreak was reported for the first time in a Spanish layer farm located in a VU at high risk for HPAI, but no samples were collected. This risk-based surveillance approach will increase the cost-effectiveness of HPAI surveillance in Spain and can be easily extended to and adopted by other countries and regions throughout the world.
Martinez
M
M
Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain. marta@sanidadanimal.info
Perez
A M
AM
de la Torre
A
A
Iglesias
I
I
Sánchez-Vizcaíno
J M
JM
Muñoz
M J
MJ
D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D046090:Anseriformes; D001717:Birds; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology