Research Paper on Avian Flu

A FIELD STUDY ON THE USE OF INACTIVATED H5N2 VACCINE IN THE DIFFERENT AVIAN SPECIES AT THE SINGAPORE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

Serena Oh1, Er Jwee Chiek2, Lim Chee Wee3, Paolo Martelli1, Oh Soon Hock1, Sonja Luz1, Chris Furley1, Ng Mee Keun3


Abstract
Avian Influenza has become a major potential threat to both avian and human life in South East Asia. The disease has been isolated in domestic poultry and ducks in Hong Kong, southern China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia and has caused several human fatalities.

In the midst of the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Asia, the Singapore Zoological Gardens has decided to vaccinate our high-risk species (galliformes and anseriformes) as well as the birds in open exhibits using Nobilis® Influenza H5N2, Intervet.

A variation in response to the vaccination was recorded between and within both species and taxonomic orders. The factors affecting reaction to vaccination may have been attributed to natural biological variation between the species, the health status and age of individual birds.

This paper is about an actual field study (without control birds) and not an experiment. Hence there are certain limitations. Nonetheless, the study shows that wild species of birds do respond to vaccination against avian influenza and consequently this information can be used to provide an option to protect birds other than domestic poultry against infection.

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1. Singapore Zoological Gardens
2. Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, Veterinary Public Health Center
3. Agri-Food and Veterinary authority of Singapore, Animal and Plant Health Center