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Review
. 2012 Feb;53(2):158-66.

Use of observed wild bird activity on poultry farms and a literature review to target species as high priority for avian influenza testing in 2 regions of Canada

Theresa E Burns  1 , Carl Ribble, Craig Stephen, David Kelton, Lorraine Toews, Jason Osterhold, Hazel Wheeler
Affiliations
Review

Use of observed wild bird activity on poultry farms and a literature review to target species as high priority for avian influenza testing in 2 regions of Canada

Theresa E Burns et al. Can Vet J. 2012 Feb.

Abstract
in English, French

The risk of avian influenza outbreaks in poultry is partially dependent on the probability of contact between domestic poultry and wild birds shedding avian influenza (AI) virus. The major objective of this study was to document wild bird activity on poultry farms to determine which wild bird species should be targeted for AI surveillance in Canada. We collected data in 2 major poultry producing regions of Canada, southwestern Ontario and the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, on the relative abundance of various wild bird species found on poultry farms and on how these species utilized habitat around poultry farms. We reviewed the published literature to determine what was known about AI pathobiology in the species we observed. From these results we created a list of 10 wild bird species that are a priority for further study. These species are the European starling, barn swallow, rock dove, American crow, northwestern crow, American robin, dark-eyed junco, song sparrow, horned lark, and common grackle. Abundance of these and other species varied between provinces and seasons.

Utilisation de l’observation de l’activité des oiseaux sauvages dans les fermes avicoles et examen de la documentation afin de cibler les espèces prioritaires pour le dépistage de l’influenza aviaire dans 2 régions du Canada. Le risque d’éclosions d’influenza aviaire chez la volaille dépend en partie de la probabilité du contact entre la volaille domestique et les oiseaux sauvages sécrétant le virus de l’influenza aviaire (IA). L’objectif principal de cette étude consistait à documenter l’activité de la sauvagine dans les fermes avicoles afin de déterminer les espèces d’oiseaux sauvages qui devraient être ciblées pour la surveillance de l’IA au Canada. Nous avons recueilli des données dans 2 grandes régions avicoles du Canada, le Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario et la vallée du Fraser de la Colombie-Britannique, sur l’abondance relative des diverses espèces d’oiseaux sauvages trouvées dans les fermes avicoles et sur la façon dont ces espèces utilisaient l’habitat autour des fermes avicoles. Nous avons examiné la documentation publiée afin de déterminer ce qui est connu à propos de la pathobiologie de l’IA chez les espèces que nous avons observées. À partir de ces résultats, nous avons créé une liste de 10 espèces d’oiseaux sauvages qui représentent une priorité pour des études approfondies. Ces espèces sont l’étourneau sansonnet, l’hirondelle rustique, le pigeon biset, la corneille d’Amérique, la corneille d’Alaska, le merle d’Amérique, le junco ardoisé, le bruant chanteur, l’alouette hausse-col et le quiscale bronzé. L’abondance de ces espèces et d’autres espèces variait selon la province et la saison.

(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières)

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Histogram of the number of wild birds of a single species per flock on 20 poultry farms in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia and 21 poultry farms in southwestern Ontario in autumn 2007, and winter, spring, and summer 2008. Three very large flocks of approximately 1253, 3000, and 3048 birds are not shown.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scatterplot of the number of times wild bird species were observed in the immediate barn area and wetlands/croplands on 20 poultry farms in British Columbia. Standard four-letter ornithological codes are used for species labels.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatterplot of the number of times wild bird species were observed in the immediate barn area and wetlands/croplands on 21 poultry farms in Ontario. Standard four-letter ornithological codes are used for species labels.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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