Scientific conference on ecology of avian influenza virus transmission

Dr. Nicolas GAIDET, expert in ecology from the French research organization CIRAD, will explain us the 6th November at University Putra Malaysia UPM, the disease transmission between wildlife, domestic animals and men, thanks to satellite telemetry.

Seminar proposed by the Embassy of France and the French Alliance in Kuala Lumpur, in partnership with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and CENTRAS of the Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Speaker: Dr. Nicolas GAIDET, wildlife ecologist
Research organization: French Agricultural Research Center for International Development -CIRAD
Venue: Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, Centre for Tropical Animal Production and Disease Studies (CENTRAS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 43400 Serdang, Selangor
Date: 6th November
Time: 11.00 – 12.00

Abstract :

Ecology of avian influenza virus transmission in wildfowl

How can we anticipate and prevent the health risks linked to interactions between wildlife, domestic animals and the people who live alongside those animals? CIRAD (the French agricultural research center for development) and its partners are investigating the ecological and manmade processes that govern transmission of such diseases, so as to come up with ways of preventing, monitoring and controlling them better.

Following the rapid spread of H5N1 virus over Eurasia and Africa and concurrent reports of mortality events in some migratory ducks, these birds have been suspected of contributing to the geographic spread of the virus. Migratory ducks are indeed capable of flying rapidly over long distances, and are the natural reservoir of some strains of avian influenza viruses. However, their ability to spread the H5N1 specific virus has been a subject of controversy.

A study led by CIRAD as part of an international programme of FAO shed light on the debate. By analysing the length, duration and frequency of the movements of >200 migratory ducks monitored by satellite, this study showed that these birds do have the ability to spread the virus over large distances (up to 2000 km in just four days). However, the study showed that the likelihood of such an event is rare: the period during which a duck is shedding the H5N1 virus (four days on average) would have to coincide with the period during which the bird travels great distances (>500 km), an event that only occurs for between five and fifteen days a year per bird.

Locally, the contacts between wild and domestic birds play a key role in virus circulation. Satellite monitoring serves to characterize these contacts by overcoming the need for direct observations, which are often difficult for wild species in remote locations. For instance, in Mali, satellite monitoring of wild African ducks showed that the end of the dry season is the period that most favours contact between wild ducks and poultry, since the two populations share the same habitat, on the edges of villages.