An Egyptian surveillance study found that while H5N1 avian flu viruses were uncommon on commercial poultry farms, more than 10% of backyard and live-market birds harbored the virus, according to a report in the Journal of Virology. Throughout 2009 Egyptian and German scientists took tracheal and cloacal swabs from 22,024 farm poultry, of which 23 birds (0.1%) were positive by polymerase chain reaction for the H5N1 virus. In comparison, 151 (10.5%) of 1,435 birds in backyard flocks and 108 (11.4%) of 944 birds in live-bird markets were infected. Incidence was highest in spring and summer, particularly in backyard birds. The team also sampled 1,297 wild birds of 28 different species in 2009 and 2010 and detected no H5N1. They conclude that backyard flocks may play a key role in maintaining H5N1 in Egyptian poultry, especially in live-bird markets.
Jun 22 J Virol abstract