Active surveillance of avian influenza viruses in Egyptian poultry, 2015

Surveillance for avian influenza viruses in Egyptian poultry has been conducted since 2009. Up to 2011, all the detected viruses were H5N1, and the overall prevalence was 5%. In 2011, H9N2 viruses were observed to be co-circulating and co-infecting the same hosts as H5N1 viruses. Since then, the detection rate has increased to around 10%. In the 2014-2015 winter season, H5N1 was circulating heavily in poultry flocks and caused an unprecedented number of human infections. In contrast, surveillance in the last quarter of 2015 indicated a near absence of H5N1 in Egyptian poultry. Surveillance for avian influenza viruses must continue in Egypt to monitor further developments in H5N1 circulation in poultry

La surveillance des virus de la grippe aviaire dans les populations de volailles égyptiennes est en cours depuis 2009. Jusqu'à 2011, tous les virus détectés appartenaient au H5N1, et la prévalence générale était de 5%. En 2011, on a remarqué que les virus H9N2 circulaient en même temps et co-infectaient les mêmes hôtes que les virus H5N1. Depuis, le taux de détection a augmenté pour atteindre près de 10%. Pendant la saison hivernale 2014-2015, le virus H5N1 a considérablement circulé dans les élevages de volailles, entraînant un nombre d'infections sans précédent chez l'homme. A l'inverse, la surveillance au cours du dernier trimestre 2015 a constaté la quasi-absence du H5N1 dans les populations de volailles égyptiennes. La surveillance des virus de la grippe aviaire doit se poursuivre en Egypte afin de déceler les futures évolutions de la circulation du H5N1 dans les populations de volailles

Some aspects of the use of oral contraceptives as growth-promoting agents in poultry

There are now several hormone and hormone-like agents that can improve the rate of growth and efficiency of feed use of farm animals. Feeding chickens with oral contraceptive steroids at the dose used by some poultry growers in Egypt has led to the formation of high estrogen residues in the muscles and the liver compared with controls. Electron microscopy of the livers of treated chickens revealed changes at the ultrastructural level. These alterations involve both the nucleus and cytoplasmic organelles, and are similar to those induced by 7, 12 dimethylbenz [a] anthracene in chickens. It is concluded that the use of oral contraceptive steroids in chickens as anabolic agent is a specific risk to chickens and probably to the consumer