SEROLOGICAL MONITORING FOR AVIAN INFLUENZA IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN 2017–2018

Abstract

Avian influenza is a highly contagious avian viral disease notifiable to the World Organiza­tion for Animal Health that causes huge economic losses and poses a great threat to poultry farms worldwide. A total of 60,697 serum samples from poultry and 581 serum samples from wild and synanthropic birds were submitted to the Reference Laboratory for Avian Viral Diseases of the FGBI “ARRIAH” (Vladimir) from 34 regions in 2017–2018 in the frame­work of monitoring carried out by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation. Antibodies to type A avian influenza virus were detected with laboratory tests in backyard poultry in the Smolensk Oblast and Republic of Crimea, antibodies to A/H5 AIV were found in backyard poultry in the Altai Krai, Rostov and Kaliningrad Oblasts, antibodies to A/H9 AIV were found in backyard poultry in the Primorsky Krai. Antibodies against A/H9 AIV were also detected in non-vaccinated chickens kept at two poultry establishments located in the Primorsky Krai in 2018. The immunity in backyard poultry in the Russian Federation Subjects covered by scheduled preventive vaccination against A/H5 AIV was found to be insufficient. Obtained test results indicated that the virus circulation in bird populations in the Russian Federation and persistent risk of avian influenza spread to poultry establishments and backyard poultry.

Keywords

• avian influenza
• epidemiology
• monitoring
• poultry
• wild birds