Detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in Poultry in Nsukka Agricultural Zone of Southeastern Nigeria using rapid test

Avian influenza (AI) is a disease of birds caused by type A strain of influenza virus. Only type A influenza viruses are known to cause natural infection in birds. This study investigated the presence of avian influenza viruses in pigeons, local chickens, and ducks in randomly selected three Local Government Areas of Enugu North Agricultural Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria, from December 2016 to May 2017. A total of three hundred cloacal swabs were collected from pigeons, local chickens and ducks in Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South and Nsukka Local Government Areas respectively. The samples were moved to the laboratory in cold chain for laboratory analysis within an hour of collection. The cloacal swab samples were analyzed for AI using rapid antigen detection kit (X/pect H5N1 kit by Thermo Fisher Scientific Remel Inc. Lenexa, KS, USA), the spot and serial dilution haemagglutination (HA) methods. Of the one hundred samples from pigeons tested, 2% and 7% tested positive in rapid antigen detection and spot HA tests, respectively, while none of the samples from local chickens and ducks tested positive in the two tests. The detection of positive samples from pigeon in the two tests is an indication that pigeon is a potential threat to public health in the area because pigeons serve as a reservoir of H5N1 which is zoonotic.