Zoonotic Infections

1. Dr. J. J. Giambrone Emeritus Professor
Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, AL

2. The Epidemiology of Avian Influenza
AI viruses constantly evolve by mutation and re-
assortment with the emergence of new subtypes
causing significant impact on animal health and
production.
Some AI subtypes can be zoonotic and therefore
pose major threat to human health.

3. FIRST REPORTED AVIAN INFLUENZA
OUTBREAKS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Three H5N1 influenza viruses were isolated from shell
washes of duck and goose eggs confiscated from travelers
coming from Vietnam in 2001.
All eight gene segments of these viruses share high
sequence identity with the H5N1 avian influenza viruses
that caused outbreaks in poultry and humans in Hong Kong
in 1997.

4. FIRST REPORTED HPAIV INFLUENZA IN
BIRDS
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza
caused by H5N1 viruses were reported almost
simultaneously in eight neighboring Asian
countries between December 2003 and January
2004, with a ninth reporting in August 2004,
suggesting that the viruses had spread recently
and rapidly.
They had been detected widely in the region in
domestic waterfowl and terrestrial poultry for
several years before this, and the absence of
widespread disease in the region before 2003.

5. FIRST REPORTED AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAKS
IN HUMANS TRANSMITTED from BIRDS in
SOUTHEAST ASIA
The first known cases of human infection with highly
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses
occurred in Vietnam in the late 2003.
However, HPAI H5N1 and low-pathogenic avian
influenza (LPAI) H5N2 and H9N3 viruses were isolated
from domestic waterfowl during live-bird market (LBM)
surveillance in Vietnam in 2001 and 2003.

6. AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAKS IN HUMANS
TRANSMITTED from BIRDS in SOUTHEAST
ASIA
From 2009 – present. “Bird Flu” 3,500 cases: (H5, H7,
and H9 AIVs) with up to 50% mortality in China and
Southeast Asia.
Human infections requires close contact with birds
processed and sold in live markets, and a few with on
farm contact. Human-to-human transfer of the AIV is
rare.

7. CONTINUAL SPREAD OF HPAIV INFLUENZA
IN BIRDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Since the first H5N1 highly pathogenic avian
influenza virus (HPAIV) infection in the region in
August 2003, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam have all recorded
outbreaks of the disease.

8. CONTINUAL SPREAD OF HPAIV
INFLUENZA
Nevertheless, there is little reason to believe that wild
birds have played a more significant role in spreading
disease than trade through live bird markets and
movement of domestic waterfowl.

10. MERS
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus
(MERS-CoV) represents 1 of 3 major zoonotic
coronaviruses to have emerged with global impact in
the past 2 decades, alongside severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) in
2002–2003 and severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from 2019 onward.
The earliest known outbreak of MERS-CoV began in a
hospital in Zarqa, Jordan, in April 2012). Since that
time, >2,500 cases and 880 deaths (case-fatality rate
of 34%) have been reported across 27 countries
worldwide.
The first detection of positive MERS-CoV by serologic
testing in camels was also from Zarqa, Jordan, in
2013; camels were later confirmed as the reservoir
for MERS-CoV infection in humans and bats the likely
ancestral host).

11. The World Organization for Animal Health
The World Organization for Animal Health, formerly the
Office International des Epizooties (OIE) is an
intergovernmental organization coordinating, supporting and
promoting animal disease control.
The transparency of reporting through the World Animal
Health Information System provide the framework for
Veterinary Services to implement effective surveillance,
reporting, and controls for avian influenza.

18. LIVE BIRD MARKETS in the US
Market owners cater to a large immigrant
population in NYC, and some of the markets
may cater to a single ethnic group. patrons
who frequented the markets spoke a total of
eight languages including Spanish, Bengali,
Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese, Haitian Creole
and Korean.
The patrons tend to be new and first-
generation immigrants. Many types of poultry
are sold in the LBMs including geese and
ducks, quail, white and red broilers, pigeons,
guinea fowl and spent layers

19. LIVE WET MARKETS in the US
Birds are weighed and sold to patrons by the
pound but some, such as spent hens are sold
as single birds.
All birds entering in live markets must come
from registered sources, which have recently
been tested for AIV. No wild animals can
enter these markets. Animals are not
currently tested for coronaviruses, but this
could be changed as the result of the past
where wild caught animals have transmitted
the disease to humans.

20. LIVE WET MARKETS in the US
Live markets are depopulated after 6 days,
and the markets are totally disinfected.
So far, no zoonotic viral disease has originated
from live animal markets.

23. The World Organization for Animal
Health
Disseminates information to other countries,
which can take the necessary preventive
action.
This information also includes diseases
transmissible to humans and the intentional
introduction of pathogens.
Information is sent out immediately or
periodically depending on the seriousness of
the disease.
This objective applies to disease occurrences
both naturally occurring and deliberately
caused.
Dissemination is via e-mail,