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Monday, May 21, 2012 |

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HPAI H5N1 has moved outwardly from Asia but has not yet been detected in the western hemisphere. While, it is unclear how HPAI H5N1 might arrive into North America, it is possible that wild birds may act as vectors of the virus once established. Therefore, USDA APHIS Animal Care proposes to monitor facilities under its oversight using a voluntary cooperative surveillance plan.

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BACKGROUND

HPAI H5N1 has moved outwardly from Asia but has not yet been detected in the western hemisphere. While, it is unclear how HPAI H5N1 might arrive into North America, it is possible that wild birds may act as vectors of the virus once established. Therefore, USDA APHIS Animal Care proposes to monitor facilities under its oversight using a voluntary cooperative surveillance plan. The project will be administered by Lincoln Park Zoo on behalf of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), a chief stakeholder for Animal Care and will include regulated non-AZA exhibitors. The goal of this project is to monitor for both LPAI and HPAI, and detect and characterize any H5 or H7 subtypes, especially HPAI H5N1. Testing will only be conducted at NAHLN laboratories.

PROJECT FORMULATION

In January 2006, Lincoln Park Zoo began hosting a series of meetings on behalf of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to discuss the feasibility of enhancing the current West Nile virus (WNV) zoological surveillance system in order to address other zoonotic emerging infectious diseases. Stakeholders included representatives from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Geologic Survey (USGS), NBII Wildlife Disease Information Node, state and local public health, agriculture and wildlife departments, Universities of California, Illinois and Minnesota, Cornell University, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV). The result of this process is the creation of the Zoological Emerging Disease Center at Lincoln Park Zoo. The first program executed by this center, on behalf of USDA Animal Care and AZA, is charged with the design and implementation of a surveillance system for avian influenza (AI) using AZA accredited zoos as sentinels. This program will expand the format of existing systems for tuberculosis and West Nile virus to include avian influenza, as well as to create a template for addressing emerging issues as they arise.

Roundtable discussions were held to identify the needs of each primary stakeholder; chiefly, increased and affordable access to HPAI testing for zoos, and the incorporation of these sentinel data into human health surveillance data (CDC), domestic animal surveillance data (USDA), and migratory bird surveillance data (USGS, USDA/ APHIS/ WS, National Park Service [NPS], and United States Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS]). Working groups were formed to address major scientific and logistical issues.

SURVEILLANCE

A staged approach of surveillance including both passive surveillance on ill and deceased animals, and active surveillance on healthy animal populations in zoos was agreed upon. The active surveillance portion will incorporate statistically derived sampling strategies aimed at detecting AI with 95% confidence assuming a prevalence level of 10% (see section 2.c Sampling Strategy for further details). The current diagnostic collaboration will expand from that in place for WNV (Cornell University only) to initially include three regional diagnostic laboratories certified by the USDA under the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) system. The existing database will be reconfigured to accommodate data from previous and future zoo-based surveillance programs, with updated mechanisms for reporting and for maintaining confidentiality. In addition, the database will be designed to interface with collaborating programs such as the USGS Wildlife Disease Information Nodes HPAI Early Detection Data System (WDIN HEDDS), the Global Avian Influenza Network for Surveillance (GAINS), and the International Species Information System (ISIS) Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). A centralized biomaterials bank for the storage of reference samples will be created and housed in Conservation & Science, Davee Center, Lincoln Park Zoo. The system will be coordinated through the multidisciplinary working group brought together at these meetings, which includes: program staff at Lincoln Park Zoo, three regional coordinators, one laboratory coordinator, and three diagnostic laboratory facilities. If the need becomes apparent, additional qualified diagnostic centers may be included.