title: Poultry farm vulnerability and risk of avian influenza re-emergence in Thailand.
abstract: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) remains of concern as a major potential global threat. This article evaluates and discusses the level of vulnerability of medium and small-scale commercial poultry production systems in Thailand related to avian influenza virus re-emergence. We developed a survey on 173 farms in Nakhon Pathom province to identify the global level of vulnerability of farms, and to determine which type of farms appears to be more vulnerable. We used official regulations (the Good Agricultural Practices and Livestock Farm Standards regulations) as a reference to check whether these regulations are respected. The results show that numerous vulnerability factors subsist and could represent, in case of HPAI re-emergence, a significant risk for a large spread of the disease. Bio-security, farm management and agro-commercial practices are particularly significant on that matter: results show that these practices still need a thorough improvement on a majority of farms. Farms producing eggs (especially duck eggs) are more vulnerable than farms producing meat. Those results are consistent with the type of farms that were mostly affected during the 2004-2008 outbreaks in Thailand.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. Marc.Souris@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Souris
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. dselenic@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Dubravka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selenic
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. s_khaklang@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Supaluk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khaklang
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. ninphanomchai_2@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Suwannapa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ninphanomchai
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. g.minet@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minet
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. jpgonzalez@metabiota.com.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. pkittayapong@msn.com.
authors.forename: Pattamaporn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kittayapong
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000818:Animals; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000635:transmission*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000635:transmission*; D011200:Poultry; D062206:Spatial Analysis; D013785:Thailand