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.
Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain. marta@sanidadanimal.info
M
M
Martinez
A M
AM
Perez
A
A
de la Torre
I
I
Iglesias
J M
JM
Sánchez-Vizcaíno
M J
MJ
Muñoz
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