Virology & Mycology
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0517
ISSN: 2161-0517
Abdul Ahad1,2, Masood Rabbani1, Tahir Yaqub1, Khushi Muhammad1, Altaf Mahmood1 and Md. Ahasanul Hoque2
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Virol-mycol
Sero-surveys for avian influenza represents an important tool to assess zoonotic risk posed to exposed individuals by infected birds. A serological-survey was conducted on 354 farm poultry workers on 85 randomly selected commercial poultry farms in the areas of high poultry farm density in Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the Federal area and Punjab Province to estimate the sero-prevalence of H5, H7 and H9 and identify the potential risk factors for infection with the avian influenza virus. Positive serology was assessed as a positive haemagglutination inhibition test at 1:160 dilutions based on WHO guidelines. A face to face closed ended questionnaire was used to obtain information about putative risk factors for infection with the avian influenza virus. The estimated sero-prevalence was 0% for H5, 21.2% for H7 and 47.8% for H9. Based on a generalized linear mixed model the significant risk factors for H7 infection were area, type of farm and age of poultry worker. Risk of infection increased with the age of poultry workers. Compared with broiler farms, breeder farms presented a greater risk of infection (OR=3.8, 95% CI 1.4, 10.1). Compared with the combined Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province/Federal area, North Punjab had higher observed biosecurity measures and presented a lesser risk of infection (a OR=0.30,95% CI 0.1, 0.9). Biosecurity should therefore be enhanced (especially in breeder farms) to reduce the occupational risks in poultry farm workers and to decrease the risk of emergent human-adapted strains of AI H7 and H9 viruses.