Two African and Asian Regional Training Courses on “Rapid Diagnosis of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)”

Cairo, Egypt; from 26 August to 6 September 2007
AAHL, Australia; from 12 Nov – 23 Nov 2007

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as “bird flu”, is caused by the infection with some strains of Influenza A virus. The different strains of this virus are classified into subtypes on the basis of their two external proteins named haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). Techniques that are implemented for the diagnosis of avian influenza aim to first demonstrate the presence of the causal virus in pathological samples, and then to assess its pathogenicity. Indeed, only some HPAI strains of avian influenza, belonging to the H5 or H7 subtypes, are at the origin of outbreaks. The current avian influenza outbreak, which started in Asia in late 2003, is caused by a virus of H5 subtype and was further characterized as of the N1 subtype (HPAI-H5N1), which is able to cause deaths in humans. Usually, from the pathological sample, the virus is first isolated in embryonated fowl eggs and takes 4–7 days to complete. The subtype of the isolated virus is then identified by a battery of specific antibodies raised against the different H (H1 to H15) and N (N1 to N9) proteins. This means of identification is carried out only in specialized laboratories. To confirm a subtype’s pathogenicity, the isolate is then inoculated into 4–8 week-old susceptible chickens. For the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), strains are considered to be highly pathogenic if they cause more than 75% mortality in inoculated chickens within 10 days. An alternative way to demonstrate the presence and to characterize the influenza virus in the pathological samples is the specific detection of its RNA by nucleic acid amplification techniques (PCR and PCR sequencing, using either fluorescent or isotopic [P32, P33 or S35] markers).

This molecular approach takes 1–2 days to complete. It is foreseen that this technology could be applied as an early warning tool. Although the HPAI-H5N1 virus existed since 1996, the true crisis started in 2003 with the declaration that the disease was killing hundreds of thousand of chickens and ducks in ten countries. As per end 2006, there have been 278 human cases with 188 fatalities, and more than 320 million dead or culled birds. Economic losses to the Asian poultry sector are estimated as high as US$20 billion. Avian Influenza, due to HPAI-H5N1 subtype, is threatening the livelihood of hundreds of millions of poor livestock farmers, jeopardizing smallholder entrepreneurship and commercial poultry production, and seriously impeding regional and international trade and market opportunities. The IAEA, through the Joint FAO/IAEA Division, is part of a coordination mechanism, together with FAO, WHO and OIE, established through the UN System Senior Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza to make the international system as responsive as possible.

The courses aim at enhancing knowledge on highly pathogenic avian influenza (epidemiology, differential diagnosis of the virus sub-types involved (serological and molecular nuclear and nuclear related technologies), sampling and submission procedures (including shipment of pathological samples to the FAO/OIE reference laboratories) and at providing practical training on current rapid techniques for disease diagnosis, in particular, the use of nuclear-based techniques for the identification and characterization of the pathogen(s). The ultimate goal is to contribute to the early detection and early reaction capabilities in Member States.

Each course will be open to about twenty participants from the IAEA and FAO Member States that are considered at risk regarding avian flu outbreaks and is intended for participants with an academic background equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in veterinary, animal or biological science, and with experience in molecular biology techniques. Participants must be actively involved in animal disease diagnosis. Participating countries are encouraged to submit more than one application to provide scope for IAEA final selection. The training course will be conducted in English and, consequently, participants should be capable of freely expressing themselves and following lectures in this language.

Nominations may be submitted on the standard IAEA application form for training courses/workshops to the IAEA, or directly to the FAO or other sponsoring Institution. For more information, please contact Roswitha Schellander (email: R.Schellander@IAEA.ORG) or to our website address.