Nepal has experienced several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since 2009. The government implements disease control strategies like surveillance, stamping out infected flocks, and compensation. Surveillance is risk-based in high, medium, and low risk districts. Testing is done using rapid tests and RT-PCR. Positive samples are further characterized. Outbreaks are controlled through zonation and coordination committees. Legislation supports control efforts. While progress has been made in early detection and response, cross-border movement of birds and informal trade pose ongoing challenges to control of HPAI in Nepal.

1. Current Management Status of
Highly Pathogenic Avian
Influenza (HPAI) in Nepal
Prepared by:
Dr. Krishna Prasad Acharya
Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Pokhara, Nepal
Presented by:
Dr. Kedar Raj Pande
Senior Veterinary Officer,
Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Pokhara

2. The Country
• Land locked country
• Birth place of Lord Buddha
• Bordering countries:
– China : North
– India: East, south and west
• Geographical region
– Himalayan:
• 8 out of 14 highest summits in
the world including Mt. Everest
– Mountain/hill :
– Terai: (Mostly bordering with
India)
• Altitude ranges from 70 meters
to 8,848 meters
NEPAL

3. 8848 m
70 m
Geo-Physical Diversity of Nepal

4. General Background
Poultry Population :
Poultry (Chicken) – 68.63 Millions
Duck – 0.39 Million.
(Source: MoLD 2016)
Total poultry comprises of;
55% commercial
45% backyard chicken
(Source: MoLD 2016)

5. Importance of Poultry
Like many other developing country, in Nepal poultry
occupies a unique position in term of its
contribution in providing:
Cheaper source of high protein food
Cash income particularly to rural poor
• Contribution: AGDP: 4%, and employment to >
one million people.
• Total investment : – NRs. 16 Billion.

8. 22/75

9. Sunsari - in 2014
Kaski & Sunsari 2017

10. Bird Flu Outbreak 2017

11. Situation of HPAI in Nepal
From 2006 - surveillance of Avian Influenza
was started
In 2009 - first outbreak was reported in
Jhapa district.
In 2010- Seven outbreaks was reported
From 2010-12- 42 outbreaks was reported in
different part of 18 districts
In 2013- 173 outbreaks occurred in different
part of 12 districts.

12. Contd………Contd………
In 2017 – 3 outbreaks of HPAI are reported
from Kaski and Sunsari Districts.
All the outbreaks were controlled by stamping
out operation
Surveillance activities intensified around
infected zone and through out the country.
No human cases identified so far.

13. Virus Clade reported
Year of
Outbreak
Clade
2009 2.2 (similar to west Bengal and
Bangladesh)
2010 2.3.2 (Similar to Mongolia) and 2.2
2011-2013 2.3.2.1 (Hubei like) and 2.3.2.1a
2017 2.3.2.1a similar to previous outbreak

14. H5N8 Virus Clade
Year of
Outbreak
Clade
2017 H5 clade 2.3.4.4

15. Situation of Outbreak, 2017Situation of Outbreak, 2017
S.N Date Species Address Results Result from OIE
Reference
Lab(Zeelong
Australia)
1 2017/02/23 BD Pokhara-18,
Kaski
H5N1 H5N1
2 2017/03/01 BC Pokhara-
18,Kaski
H5N1 H5N1
3 2017/03/03 BC Pokhara-18,
Kaski
H5N1 H5N1
4 2017/03/05 WB Itahari,
Sunsari
H5N1 H5N1 & H5N8
5 2017/03/08 CL Khanar,
Sunsari
H5N8 H5N8
H5N1 Virus Clade : 2.3.2.1a
H5N8 Virus Clade : 2.3.4.4

16. WHAT ARE WE DOING IN
NEPAL FOR THE CONTROL
OF HPAI ?

17. DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGIES
1.PRE-OUTBREAK
- EARLY DETECTION
- SURVEILLANCE (PASSIVE AND ACTIVE)
- IMPROVED BIO-SECURITY ON FARMS
2. DURING OUTBREAK
STAMPING OUT
- CULLING/ KILLING
- DISPOSAL, CLEANING AND DISINFECTION OF
INFECTED PREMISES
- QUARANTINE AND MOVEMENT CONTROL
- COMPENSATION
3. POST OUTBREAK
- POST OPERATIVE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (POSP)
- RESTOCKING

18. Central (CVL/VEC/DAH / DLS)
Local
Livestock Service Centre/Sub-Centre
Private Veterinarian or Owners of Domestic Animals
Outbreaks/ Suspected cases of notifiable disease
①Notify
Disease Control
Guidelines
Other
Prefectural
Government
Other
Prefectural
Government
RDLS/RVL/
NADIL
②Notify ④Report
③Order for Control Measures
District Livestock Services Office
National Disease Notification System
International (OIE)

19. HPAI Surveillance in Nepal
(Risk based Surveillance)
Risk Based Surveillance
• 22 HRD
• 21 MRD
• 32 LRD
• 8 Water bird zone

20. Contd..
•Risk based surveillance system is being implemented
•Based on risk, country has divided into three risk categories:
• High risk districts
• Medium risk districts
• Low risk districts
– Clinical surveillance followed by sample collection (dead birds,
Tracheal and cloacal swabs) from sick and dead chicken
–Serum samples are collected from sick and healthy ducks
–Fresh Feces from wild water birds and birds from Live markets

21. Testing Methods
• Screening of the samples by Rapid test to detect Avian
influenza A using Rapid test kit (Symbiotic and Anigen)
• All RDT positive samples and 10% of negative samples are
tested by RT-PCR or Real time PCR (RRT- PCR) for
confirmation of H5 and N1 antigen at national Laboratory
• Molecular characterization - is done from OIE reference lab
(VLA, Weybridge, UK) and AAHL, Gilong, Australia .
• Currently, no virus inoculation is done in the National
Laboratory for HPAI virus.

22. Control Strategy: Zonation of outbreak area
Infected Farm (epicenter)
Infected Zone (0- up to 3 km.)
High Risk Zone (3- 10 km.)
Restricted Zone
Regular Surveillance
(Whole Country)

23. Coordination and Implementation
Mechanism
National Disaster Relief Co-ordination
Committee (NDRCC)
Regional Disaster Relief
Co-ordination
Committee (RDRCC)
District Disaster Relief
Co-ordination
Committee (DDRCC)
Sub-committee on
Control of Avian
Influenza (SCAI)
Regional Avian Influenza Co-ordination
Committee (RAICC)
District Avian Influenza Co-
ordination committee (DAICC)
Avian Influenza Technical Co-
ordination Committee (AITCC)Administrative
directives
Technical
directives
Technical
directives
Administrative
directives
Stamping out
Rapid Response
Team (RRT)
National Bird Flu Control
Committee

24. LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT
 Natural Disaster Relief Act, 1982
 Animal Health and Livestock ServicesAnimal Health and Livestock Services
Act, 1998 and its Regulation, 1999Act, 1998 and its Regulation, 1999
 Bird Flu Disease Control Order, 2008
(Amendment, 2009 --- 2017)
 Standard Operating Procedure, 2011
 Animal Transportation Standard, 2007

25. Poultry products destroyed and
compensation paid during stamping-out
operation
Year
Destroyed items
Poultry
(No)
Eggs(No) Meat
(Kg)
Feed
(Kg)
Till 2014 19,65,315 30,53,083 1555.5 1,62,733
2017 5289 903 105 1196
Total
1970604 3053986 16510.5 163929
Total compensation
paid
NRs
38,06,44,000

26. SOME TRENDS
• Disease situation improving, this year only two
outbreaks since 2014
• Capacity enhancement
– Grass roots surveillance improved through
– Early detection and response capacity
– Laboratories well equipped, most laboratories can make
diagnosis
– Improve response capacity in the field of HPAI and
other TADs and EIDs
– Improve awareness of HPAI in the region and
countrieS

27. ONGOING INTERVENTIONS
– Public awareness programmes
– Surveillance sampling
– Regulation of livestock movement
– Following quarantine procedure for export and
import of live livestock and poultry and its products.
– Regulation on import of chicks and other poultry and
livestock products from the infected countries
– Improvements in farm bio-security
– Live bird market improvement

28. SUCCESS TO DATE
• Successfully contained the outbreak.
• Reduced the number of outbreak and prevented
the further spread of the virus.
• Prevented human infection of H5N1.
• Preparedness in tackling with future possible
pandemic

29. CONSTRAINTS
• Long porous border with India.
• Cross border movement of birds.
• Uncontrolled movement of birds and other
livestock products
• Informal trade and unmanaged local market
• Backyard poultry population
• Unregistered small scattered poultry farms
with poor biosecurity

30. • Virus is breaking the climate barrier
• Not limited to high or medium risk areas.
• Resources are much limited for compensation
• New strains are evolving
• Long porus border difficult to control and monitor
• Nepal on migratory bird route
• Farmers cooperation is always favorable.
CHALLENGES BECAUSE…….

31. CROSS-BORDER MOVEMENT

35. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND
ATTENTION.