Redesigning the serological surveillance program for notifiable avian influenza in Belgian professional poultry holdings.
This study was aimed at redesigning the Belgian active surveillance program for domestic birds in professional poultry holdings based on a risk analysis approach. A stochastic quantitative analysis, combining all data sources, was run to obtain sensitivity estimates for the detection of an infected bird in the different risk groups identified. An optimal number of holdings for each risk group was then estimated on the basis of the different sensitivities obtained. This study proved to be a useful tool for decision makers, providing insight on how to reallocate the total amount of samples to be taken in the coming year(s) in Belgium, thus optimizing the field resources and improving efficiency of disease surveillance such as required by the international standards.
Welby
Sarah
S
Coordination Centre for Veterinary Diagnostics, VAR, Groeselenberg, 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium. sawel@var.fgov.be
van den Berg
Thierry
T
Marché
Sylvie
S
Houdart
Philippe
P
Hooyberghs
Jozef
J
Mintiens
Koen
K
D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D018563:Disease Notification; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009313:National Health Programs; D011200:Poultry; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies