| Summary |
The purpose of this surveillance was to realize epidemiology of avian influenza in Taiwan wild birds and poultry. In 2005, a total of 4,506 fecal samples from wild birds were examined. Forty-nine viruses were isolated and subtyped as H1N1, H2N7, H3N6, H3N8, H3N9,H4N2, H4N3, H4N6, H5N2, H6N1, H7N3, H10N6, H10N8, H11N9 and H12N2. Most of these viruses were isolated from duck fecal samples; but two viruses, H3N8 and H4N6, were isolated from terns. In addition, 5 strains of H7N3 and 1 strain of H5N2 viruses were isolated from the wild ducks in Taipei and Tainan, and all of those viruses were low pathogenic (LP) strains. In poultry surveillance, 2,613 samples collected from chicken farms, except one LP H5N2 virus isolated from 30 sentinel chickens in a clearance farm, no any H5 or H7 avian influenza virus was detected in other farms.
In our conclusion, Taiwan is still a H5N1-free country. There was no evidence of H5N1 virus carried by the entry migratory birds. So that, the risk of this virus invade into Taiwan by migratory birds is very low.
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