Summary
This cross-sectional survey of live bird retail stalls in Lahore District, Pakistan identified three significant risk factors for avian influenza H9 infection in chickens: sourcing birds from mixed sources (OR 2.28), keeping birds outside cages (OR 3.10), and maintaining non-broiler breeds (OR 6.27). The study suggests that consolidating supply chains, improved housing conditions, and breed uniformity could reduce H9 transmission risk in retail settings. Findings highlight the importance of biosecurity measures at the point of sale in contexts where live poultry markets serve as potential amplification sites.
UK applicability
UK poultry supply chains are highly integrated and regulated with strict biosecurity protocols that differ substantially from live retail markets in Pakistan; however, the study's identification of housing, mixing, and sourcing as transmission drivers may inform contingency planning for high-risk poultry environments or international disease surveillance efforts.
Key measures
Prevalence odds ratios (OR) for H9 infection; H9 subtype detection by qRT-PCR; risk factors identified via survey-weighted logistic regression
Outcomes reported
The study identified prevalence of avian influenza H9 in live bird retail stalls and quantified risk factors associated with infection through multivariable logistic regression analysis. Oropharyngeal swabs from 1,400 birds across 8 clusters were tested for influenza A matrix gene and H9, H5, H7 subtypes.
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