Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Jun 20;8(6):e67366.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067366. Print 2013.

Risk factors for infectious diseases in backyard poultry farms in the Poyang Lake area, China

Yong Wang  1 , Zhiben Jiang, Zhenyu Jin, Hua Tan, Bing Xu
Affiliations

Risk factors for infectious diseases in backyard poultry farms in the Poyang Lake area, China

Yong Wang et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Emergence and transmission of infectious diseases have an enormous impact on the poultry industry and present a serious threat to the health of humans and wild birds. Noncommercial poultry operations, such as backyard poultry facilities in China, are potential sources of virus exchange between commercial poultry and wild birds. It is particularly critical in wetland areas where backyard poultry have close contact with commercial poultry and migratory birds, therefore increasing the risk of contracting infectious diseases. To evaluate the transmission risks, a cross-sectional study was undertaken in the Poyang Lake area, China, involving 309 residents in the backyard poultry farms in three counties (Region A, B, and C) of Jiangxi Province. We examined the backyard poultry population, poultry species, presence of poultry deaths from infectious diseases, food sources, and biosecurity practices. Region B ranked highest for biosecurity while region C ranked lowest. The risks of infectious diseases were assessed by adjusted odds ratio based on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Potential risk factors in the three regions of the study site were compared. In Region A, significant factor was contact of poultry with wild birds (OR: 6.573, 95% CI: 2.148-20.115, P=0.001). In Region B, the most significant factor was contact of poultry with neighboring backyard waterfowls (OR: 3.967, 95% CI: 1.555-10.122, P=0.004). In Region C, significant factors were poultry purchase from local live bird markets (OR: 3.740, 95% CI: 1.243-11.255, P=0.019), and contact of poultry with wild birds (OR: 3.379, 95% CI: 1.058-10.791, P=0.040). In summary, backyard poultry was significantly affected by neighboring commercial poultry and close contact with wild birds. The results are expected to improve our understanding of the transmission risks of infectious diseases in a typical backyard poultry environment in rural China, and address the need to improve local farming practices and take preventive measures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Study area around Poyang Lake of Jiangxi Province.
A: Region A with 8.5 million laying ducks, B: Region B with 4 million laying hens, C: Region C without any commercial poultry farms.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. China Animal Industry Yearbook Editorial Committee (2011) China Animal Industry Yearbook. Beijing, China: Agriculture Press; 650pp (in Chinese).
    1. National Development and Reform Commission (2006) National Animal Epidemic Prevention System Plan. Available: http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/zcfb/zcfbtz/tz2006/W020070111591958303128.doc. Accessed: 2013 March 20 (in Chinese).
    1. Busani L, Valsecchi MG, Rossi E, Toson M, Ferrè N et al. (2009) Risk factors for highly pathogenic H7N1 avian influenza virus infection in poultry during the 1999-2000 epidemic in Italy. Vet J 181: 171-177. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.02.013. PubMed: 18684649. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alexander DJ (2000) A review of avian influenza in different bird species. Vet Microbiol 74: 3-13. doi:10.1016/S0378-1135(00)00160-7. PubMed: 10799774. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fouchier RAM, Munster V, Wallensten A, Bestebroer TM, Herfst S et al. (2005) Characterization of a novel influenza A virus hemagglutinin subtype (H16) obtained from black-headed gulls. J Virol 79: 2814-2822. doi:10.1128/JVI.79.5.2814-2822.2005. PubMed: 15709000. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources