title: Prevalence of influenza A viruses in livestock and free-living waterfowl in Uganda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Avian influenza viruses may cause severe disease in a variety of domestic animal species worldwide, with high mortality in chickens and turkeys. To reduce the information gap about prevalence of these viruses in animals in Uganda, this study was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Influenza A virus prevalence by RT-PCR was 1.1% (45/4,052) while seroprevalence by ELISA was 0.8% (24/2,970). Virus prevalence was highest in domestic ducks (2.7%, 17/629) and turkeys (2.6%, 2/76), followed by free-living waterfowl (1.3%, 12/929) and swine (1.4%, 7/511). A lower proportion of chicken samples (0.4%, 7/1,865) tested positive. No influenza A virus was isolated. A seasonal prevalence of these viruses in waterfowl was 0.7% (4/561) for the dry and 2.2% (8/368) for the wet season. In poultry, prevalence was 0.2% (2/863) for the dry and 1.4% (24/1,713) for the wet season, while that of swine was 0.0% (0/159) and 2.0% (7/352) in the two seasons, respectively. Of the 45 RT-PCR positive samples, 13 (28.9%) of them were H5 but none was H7. The 19 swine sera positive for influenza antibodies by ELISA were positive for H1 antibodies by HAI assay, but the subtype(s) of ELISA positive poultry sera could not be determined. Antibodies in the poultry sera could have been those against subtypes not included in the HAI test panel.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study has demonstrated occurrence of influenza A viruses in animals in Uganda. The results suggest that increase in volumes of migratory waterfowl in the country could be associated with increased prevalence of these viruses in free-living waterfowl and poultry.
authors.affiliation: National Livestock Resources Research Institute, P,O, Box 96, Tororo, Uganda. halidkirunda@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Halid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kirunda
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erima
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tumushabe
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiconco
authors.forename: Titus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tugume
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mulei
authors.forename: Derrick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mimbe
authors.forename: Edison
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mworozi
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bwogi
authors.forename: Lukwago
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luswa
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kibuuka
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Millard
authors.forename: Achilles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Byaruhanga
authors.forename: Mariette F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ducatez
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Webby
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: Kofi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wurapa
authors.forename: Denis K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Byarugaba
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wabwire-Mangen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D046090:Anseriformes; D005260:Female; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058751:Livestock; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology