2021 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 6-11
Avian influenza (AI) surveillance in wild birds had been conducted all over the world, as migratory water birds are worrying potential carriers of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. Risk assessment of AI in wild birds had been conducted intensively in European and American countries, and target species and high priority areas for AI surveillance have been specified. Nowadays, passive surveillance of dead and debilitated birds are major surveillance methods in most of these countries. National HPAI surveillance in wild birds was started in Japan in 2008. Passive surveillance of reported dead birds and active surveillance of waterbird feces were conducted in each prefecture as part of the national surveillance. The livestock hygiene service centers in most of the prefectures conducted influenza rapid diagnostic tests. AI surveillance in wild birds is essential not only to perceive infection status in wild birds, but to provide important information for rare bird conservation, both in the wild and in captivity. In addition, the early detection of HPAI infection in wild birds plays an important role in the alert of poultry and captive birds. Surveillance system in wild birds should be prepared to maintain at any situation, such as in the middle of severe outbreaks of livestock diseases.
