%0 Journal Article
%A Martínez Avilés, Marta
%A Pérez, A. M.
%A De la Torre, Ana
%A Iglesias Martín, Irene
%A Sánchez-Vizcaíno Rodríguez, José Manuel
%A Muñoz Reoyo, María Jesús
%T Evaluating surveillance in wild birds by the application of risk assessment of avian influenza introduction into Spain
%D 2011
%@ 0950-2688
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/42665
%X Early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in its natural reservoirs is a prerequisite for preventing disease spread to humans. The risk of introduction of H5N1 HPAI was assessed in order to design a risk-based surveillance system in Spain. Areas at highest risk for H5N1 HPAI followed a northeast–southwest direction, with two significant clusters located in the north and the southwest of the country. Most (83%) of the veterinary units (VUs) obtained fewer samples than would have been expected if samples had been collected using a risk-based design. In October 2009, a HPAI outbreak was reported for the first time in a Spanish layer farm located in a VU at high risk for HPAI, but no samples were collected. This risk-based surveillance approach will increase the cost-effectiveness of HPAI surveillance in Spain and can be easily extended to and adopted by other countries and regions throughout the world.
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