Summary
This cross-sectional survey of 280 pooled oropharyngeal samples from 1,400 birds across live bird retail stalls in Lahore, Pakistan (December 2009–February 2010) identified three statistically significant risk factors for H9 avian influenza infection: mixed sourcing (OR 2.28), outdoor housing (OR 3.10), and non-broiler breeds (OR 6.27). The findings suggest that standardised sourcing, containment, and breed management practices could substantially reduce H9 transmission risk in retail poultry settings in South Asia.
UK applicability
This study's findings may have limited direct applicability to UK poultry systems, given substantial differences in retail infrastructure, biosecurity regulation, and temperature control between Pakistan's live bird markets and UK commercial and retail settings. However, the identified risk factors—particularly the role of mixed sourcing and outdoor housing—may inform contingency planning for zoonotic disease control in any poultry system with weak biosecurity.
Key measures
Prevalence odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals for H9 infection; qRT-PCR detection of influenza A matrix gene and H9 haemagglutinin subtype; survey-weighted logistic regression analysis
Outcomes reported
The study identified three independent risk factors for H9 avian influenza virus infection in live bird retail stalls: obtaining birds from mixed sources, keeping birds outside cages, and keeping non-broiler chicken breeds. Conversely, sourcing from dealers/wholesalers, housing birds in cages, and maintaining breed homogeneity were associated with reduced H9 infection risk.
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