Inactivation of avian influenza virus using commercial chemical disinfectants in small scale poultry production

Two commercial chemical disinfectants which are commonly used currently in the Egyptian markets were tested individually for effectiveness against highly pathogenic avian influenza virus [HPAIV]A/chicken/Egypt/13VIR3729/4/2013 [H5N1]., which currently hit the Egyptian poultry farms at 2013, The tested agents were sodium hypochlorite 5% available chlorine [NaOCL] and PERACLEAN 5%[registered][Peroxyacetic Acid4.9% and hydrogen peroxide 26.5%]. The test was performed in accordance to the guidelines of American environmental protection agency [EPA], using a carrier test with surfaces [coupons] designed specially to mimic the poultry house floor and made from concrete cement, [under dirty condition resembled phase two, step two of European Committee for Standardization [CEN]. At room temperature which mimic the field condition in the Egyptian poultry farms, both sodium hypochlorite with concentration [250ppm], and PERACLEAN 5%[registered]with concentration [1%], were not able to inactivate the virus after 5 minutes contact time, while inactivation was achieved within 30 minutes contact time, which proved one of the golden rules when applying a disinfectant, that was allowing the increase of contact time between the disinfectant and influenza virus

Epidemiological study on the impact of vaccination programs on antigenic relatedness, genetic characterization of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1

Two HPAI H5N1 viruses were isolated from vaccinated layer and broiler commercial poultry farms in Egypt at years 2011 and 2013; respectively. By phylogenetic analysis, the viruses fall into two genetically diverse clades: [i] A/chicken/Egypt/VRLCU67/2011 classified as a variant virus, clade 2.2.1.1; and [ii] A/chicken/Egypt/13VIR3729-4/2013 classified as a classic virus, clade 2.2.1. Cross HI-test confirmed that the reaction between the two viruses is weak; furthermore, it showed the antigenic diversity between viruses belong to different clades and antigenic groups. Antigenic relatedness was calculated between six AI antigens and their antisera representing the different clades and antigenic groups circulated in Egyptian field; including the A/chicken/Egypt/VRLCU67/2011 strain which showed very low R-values with the other viruses' groups; ranging from 17 % to zero. Results demonstrated the genetic and antigenic diversity of the variant viruses and how can the vaccine seed be a weak point in the vaccination program that could be broken by the drifted viruses antigenically distant from the vaccine strain