AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
NEW YORK: The avian influenza virus H5N1 could become entrenched in domestic ducks and geese beside chickens, and countries need good surveillance to prevent it from out-breaking, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.
Healthy domestic ducks and geese may transmit the virus to chickens, and play a more important role in the persistence of the virus in the region than previously thought, the agency said, stressing that H5N1 surveillance need to be increased immediately.
FAO's warning followed the detection of H5N1 in diseased young domestic ducks by German scientists.
"If the H5N1 virus can persist in apparently healthy domestic duck and geese populations, then countries need to urgently reinforce their surveillance schemes in all regions with significant duck and geese production," FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said.
The contact between domestic ducks, geese and chickens is seen by many experts as contributing factors in outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza (HPAI) in disease- entrenched nations.
"We are particularly concerned about the Black Sea area which has a high concentration of chickens, ducks and geese," said FAO senior animal health officer Jan Slingenbergh.
"In the Ukraine alone, the number of domestic ducks is estimated at around 20 million birds. In Romania, four million domestic ducks and, four million domestic geese are found in the Danube delta," Slingenbergh said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com..._domestic_ducks_geese/articleshow/2491838.cms
Healthy domestic ducks and geese may transmit the virus to chickens, and play a more important role in the persistence of the virus in the region than previously thought, the agency said, stressing that H5N1 surveillance need to be increased immediately.
FAO's warning followed the detection of H5N1 in diseased young domestic ducks by German scientists.
"If the H5N1 virus can persist in apparently healthy domestic duck and geese populations, then countries need to urgently reinforce their surveillance schemes in all regions with significant duck and geese production," FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said.
The contact between domestic ducks, geese and chickens is seen by many experts as contributing factors in outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza (HPAI) in disease- entrenched nations.
"We are particularly concerned about the Black Sea area which has a high concentration of chickens, ducks and geese," said FAO senior animal health officer Jan Slingenbergh.
"In the Ukraine alone, the number of domestic ducks is estimated at around 20 million birds. In Romania, four million domestic ducks and, four million domestic geese are found in the Danube delta," Slingenbergh said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com..._domestic_ducks_geese/articleshow/2491838.cms