Operation of Nullifying and Eradication of Avian Influenza in Mauritius ONE --AIM

1. Operation ofNullifying and Eradication of AvianInfluenza inMauritiusONE --AIM

2. MAURITIUS • Pearl shaped Island of Mauritius is 800 km east of Madagascar between longitudes 57 18' and 57 49‘ east, and latitudes 19 59' and 20 32' south in Indian ocean. • Total area- 1,865 sq. km, is 61 km long and 41 km wide at the extremes • Area of Island of Rodrigues - 119 sq. km • Total population – 1.2 million with growth rate of 1.3% per annum

3. LIVESTOCK SECTOR IN MAURITIUS • Total population into agriculture is 10.8 % of national population i.e 0.1 million. • Total Livestock GDP is 105 m $ which is 26.5% of total agriculture GDP (395m $ and is 7.2% of total national GDP. • Mauritius has a large Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 1.9 million km² rich in pelagic and deep-sea species of fishes. Fishing industry contributes to 1% of GDP with export of 130 m $ per annum.

4. Total livestock population

5. Poultry Industry in Mauritius • Total poultry population is 1 million with growth rate of 5.7 % p.a. • Total poultry meat production is 29.4 metric tonnes with consumption of 25kg /capita/year. • Total egg production is 5.2 metric tonnes with consumption of 5 kg/capita/year.

6. Animal Health in Mauritius • Mauritius till date, is free from almost all of the acute disease mentioned in the list A of OIE, Paris which includes mainly :- • Highly pathogenic Avian Influenza. • Foot and mouth disease • Rinderpest • Blue tongue • Pestes des petitis ruminants • Swine vesicular disease • African horse sickness • Rift valley fever • Others zoonotic disease like Anthrax, Bovine spongiform disease, Rabies.

7. National HPAI management plan in Mauritius • Animal health laboratory, Division of Veterinary science is playing a substantial and pivotal role in nullifying and eradication of Avian influenza in Mauritius with its strict vigilance, serosurveillance, disease investigation both at ports as well as inside the country including backyard farmers, pet, migratory and wild birds. Other activities include as following -;

9. DIAOGNOSTICS AT ANIMAL HEALTH LABORATORY • THE AHL, DVS, CATERS ITS SERVICES TO MORE THAN 5,OOO SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE COMMERCIAL POULTRY BREEDERS • CONSULTATION AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AT AHL INCLUDES – • POST MORTEM EXAMINATION • BACTERIOLOGICAL & FUNGAL CULTURE • VIRUS CULTURE • SEROSURVEILLANCE • VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

10. DIAGNOSTICS SPECIFICALLY FOR HPAI • ELISA - Serosurveillance and monitoring of serum samples of wild, migratory and poultry birds for specific antibodies against HPAI. • RAPID ANTIGEN TEST- this rapid test is done with cloacal or treacheal swabs onsite/farm to detect the presence of Avian Influenza virus (LPAI & HPAI). It has specific monoclonal antibody against AI virus and gives result in 30 min.

11. Virus inoculation test is done in embryonated eggs and further confirmation is done by Haemoagglutination test. • Immunodiffusion test is also used to detect specific antibody against HPAI. • AHL is shortly going to introduce diagnostic test which are based on the identification of viral nucleic acid using NASBA, Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification Technique. • Mauritius has already banned the import of any kind of live birds

12. NATIONAL CRISIS COMMITTEE FOR HPAI • A National crisis Committee comprising of different Ministries and major stakeholders both from the private and public sectors has been set up to monitor and make recommendations. • Principle Veterinary Officer chairs and regulates the actions and recommendations of this committee. • Mauritius has already banned the import of any kind of live birds or raw poultry meat since Jan 2004 just to avoid any chance of entry of HPAI virus into the Island. • Random samples from migratory and wild birds from terre rouge estuary and national parks are tested on almost alternate days. • All samples till date tested for HPAI has shown negative result confirming that island is free from AI virus.

13. FIELD ACTIONS FOR SUSPECTED OUTBREAKS • PVO and his team will directly go to the site to conduct rapid tests on the farm, on suspicion relevant samples will be collected and dispatched to AHL as well as to reference laboratory. • The farm will be cordon off and quarantined with help of Police till the confirmation of the HPAI out break. • An emergency meeting of the National crisis management will be done under chairmanship of PVO.

14. The area of 3 km from the farm will declared as restricted area to prevent the disease. • All the personal of the farms will kept under the strict quarantine control of the Ministry of the health. • A disease control center has been established to coordinate the necessary field actions to control disease. It comprises Ministry of Agriculture, Health, Environment, Local govt. & Housing, police depts. & private stake holders. • The main responsibility of the Disease Control Centre will be to establish effective liaison with each department in case of outbreaks and optimise human resource and to appraise the authorities of the current situation. • PVO, chairman of National Crisis Committee with the assistance of the press attaché of the Ministry will inform the public and the media about the situation.

15. KILLING AND DISPOSAL OF INFECTED FLOCKS • Environmentally controlled house: stop fans, close off ventilation, infiltrate gas. • Small house: Seal house or remove birds into plastic bags for gassing or dislocation of necks or euthanasia. • Gassing: CO2 (use 17, 5 kg/1000 m3). Birds need to be exposed to an atmosphere of at least 30% carbon dioxide to ensure loss of consciousness and then at least 70% carbon dioxide to kill the birds. This concentration must be maintained for at least 3 minutes. • Mechanical: eggs, chicks, • Disposal of birds will be carried out either by burial or by incineration with permission of Ministry of Environment, Local government and Housing. The burial sites will be thourghly disinfected with suitable virocidal chemicals.

16. Serological testing and Continuous surveillance of all poultry premises should take place within the Control Area. • Surveillance involves physical inspection of poultry for clinical signs of avian influenza, increased mortality and serological and cloacal swabs sampling. • Serological and cloacal samples should be tested by means of the ELISA, HI, AGID and rapid antigen test. • Ring vaccination of the birds with inactivated killed vaccine beyond the 3 km of the outbreak. • No repopulation until authorised by the crisis committee. • To notify the OIE about the outbreak.

17. COMPENSATION TO POULTRY BREEDRS • Compensation arrangements where poultry breeders or other concerned people can be paid fair and quick compensation for any animals or other property destroyed as part of a strategy of disease control . This issue is being taken up at Government level and very soon we will get some fruitful results. • Restocking of the flock at infected premises will be totally under the vigilance and control of Principle Veterinary Officer.

18. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU FOR ANY SUGGESTION AND CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSION ON OUR ONE –AIM AND NATIONAL CRISIS COMMITTEE.

19. THANKING YOU ALL FOR BEING NICE VIEWERS AND GIVING YOUR VALUABLE TIME AND SUGGETIONS.