Where backyard poultry raisers seek care for sick poultry: implications for avian influenza prevention in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: In Bangladesh, backyard poultry raisers lack awareness of avian influenza and infrequently follow government recommendations for its prevention. Identifying where poultry raisers seek care for their ill poultry might help the government better plan how to disseminate avian influenza prevention and control recommendations. METHODS: In order to identify where backyard poultry raisers seek care for their ill poultry, we conducted in-depth and informal interviews: 70 with backyard poultry raisers and six with local poultry healthcare providers in two villages, and five with government veterinary professionals at the sub-district and union levels in two districts during June-August 2009. RESULTS: Most (86% [60/70]) raisers sought care for their backyard poultry locally, 14% used home remedies only and none sought care from government veterinary professionals. The local poultry care providers provided advice and medications (n = 6). Four local care providers had shops in the village market where raisers sought healthcare for their poultry and the remaining two visited rural households to provide poultry healthcare services. Five of the six local care providers did not have formal training in veterinary medicine. Local care providers either did not know about avian influenza or considered avian influenza to be a disease common among commercial but not backyard poultry. The government professionals had degrees in veterinary medicine and experience with avian influenza and its prevention. They had their offices at the sub-district or union level and lacked staffing to reach the backyard raisers at the village level. CONCLUSIONS: The local poultry care providers provided front line healthcare to backyard poultry in villages and were a potential source of information for the rural raisers. Integration of these local poultry care providers in the government's avian influenza control programs is a potentially useful approach to increase poultry raisers' and local poultry care providers' awareness about avian influenza.

Limited awareness of animal influenza prevention and control among Dai Lue smallholder farmers in Southwest China.

Awareness of animal influenza and its prevention and control is important for ensuring livestock health, production and welfare. In China, a country stereotyped as a major source of emerging zoonotic infectious diseases, research on the public understanding of animal influenza is limited to the Han, the main ethnic group. The present qualitative study in Southwest China investigated awareness of animal influenza among the Dai, an ethnic minority. The participants (15 men and 10 women, ages 18-83) were smallholder farmers of pigs and poultry in rural areas of Jinghong, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. A mixture of interviews and group discussions took place in homes and villages. The participants were asked about their knowledge of avian influenza (H7N9), swine influenza (H1N1), precautions taken to protect against influenza, procedures when animals were sick and perceived risk of animal influenza. The data were analysed following coding and thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated a limited understanding of animal health and welfare among participants. Specifically, they were largely unaware of animal influenza (H7N9, H1N1) including its causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment. The farmers were also uninformed of the risks they faced and unknowingly engaged in behaviours which increased direct or indirect exposure to infected animals, a risk factor for human infection. They also reported poor usage of veterinary services. In order to guarantee the health, welfare and production of their livestock, immediate action is needed to enable Dai smallholder farmers to prevent and respond to animal influenza effectively and timely.

Attitudes, practices and information needs regarding novel influenza A (H7N9) among employees of food production and operation in Guangzhou, Southern China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: As of 30 May 2013, 132 human infections with avian influenza A (H7N9) had been reported in 10 Chinese cities. On 17 May 2013, because a chicken infection with H7 subtype avian influenza virus was detected in Guanzhou, Guangzhou became the 11th city to conduct emergency response operations. The goal of this study was to identify attitudes, practices and information needs among employees of food production and operation in Guangzhou. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of face-to-face interviews was used during 17-24 June 2013. All adults seeking health examination in Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention who had lived in Guangzhou for at least 3 months, were engaged in food production and operation, and agreed to participate were interviewed. RESULTS: Of 1,450 participants, 69.72% worried about being infected with the A/H7N9 and 74.41% stated that they had searched for information about A/H7N9. The internet (76.92%), television (67.56%), and newspapers (56.26%) were the main methods of obtaining information; the use of these methods differed significantly by various demographic variables (P < 0.05). More than one-fifth of participants complained that the information was not timely enough (20.28%) and was intentionally concealed by the government (20.76%). Nearly one-third (32.35%) did not believe that the government could control the A/H7N9 epidemic. Most participants (80.76%) reported washing hands more frequently than before, while over one-third (37.17%) stated no longer buying poultry. A total of 84.00% indicated a willingness to receive an A/H7N9 vaccine, and the primary reason for not being willing was concern about safety (58.19%). A history of influenza vaccination and worry about being infected with the A/H7N9 were significantly associated with intention to receive an A/H7N9 vaccine (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide insight into the attitudes and practices of employees of food production and operation 3 months after the first human A/H7N9 case reported in China, and 1 month after infected chickens were identified in Guangzhou. Distrust in the health department should be addressed, and more effort should be made to improve compliance of proper preventive measures to reduce panic among the public. The information needs should be taken into account in the next step of health education.

Determinants of biosecurity practices in French duck farms after a H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza epidemic: The effect of farmer knowledge, attitudes and personality traits.

Biosecurity is crucial for infectious disease prevention, more importantly in the absence of vaccination. The need for improving the implementation of biosecurity practices was highlighted in French duck farms following the 2016-2017 H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) epidemic. Farmers have multiple reasons for not implementing biosecurity practices: external (time, money) and internal (socio-psychological). The purpose of this study was to determine how sets of socio-psychological factors (i.e. knowledge on biosecurity and avian influenza transmission, attitudes, personality traits, social background) affect the adoption of on-farm biosecurity practices. Biosecurity practices and socio-psychological determinants were assessed during 127 duck farm visits, in South West France, using both questionnaires and on-farm observations. Factorial analysis of mixed data (FAMD) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) identified three groups of farmers with different socio-psychological profiles: the first group was characterized by minimal knowledge, negative attitudes towards biosecurity, little social pressure and a low level of conscientiousness. The second group was characterized by more extensive experience in poultry production, higher stress and social pressure. The third group was characterized by less experience in poultry production, better knowledge and positive attitudes towards biosecurity, increased self-confidence and orientation towards action. The first group had a significantly lower adoption of biosecurity measures than the two other groups. A better understanding of the factors involved in farmers' decision-making could improve the efficiency of interventions aiming at improving and maintaining the level of on-farm biosecurity in the duck industry.

Factors influencing chicken farmers' decisions to implement prevention and control measures to reduce avian influenza virus spread under endemic conditions.

The ongoing circulation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 poses a threat to both poultry and public health. Adapting the constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM) framework, we investigated perceptions of backyard, commercial broiler and layer chicken farmers to implement HPAI prevention and control measures in Bangladesh. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2016 and 2017 on 144 backyard, 106 broiler and 113 layer chicken farms. Using Structural Equation Modelling, we modelled the direct and indirect effects on farmers' perceptions on taking HPAI prevention and control actions. Our results indicate that farmers of different chicken production systems have different decision-making processes. While perceived barriers to the implementation of prevention and control measures (e.g. wearing protective equipment when handling chickens) prevented both broiler and backyard farmers to adopt interventions, perceived benefits of measures (e.g. maintaining high biosecurity will reduce the risk of birds becoming sick) strongly influenced commercial farmers' decisions, but not backyard farmers' decisions. Information provided on HPAI through media, meetings or via information campaigns played an important role in farmers' decision-making in all production systems. Outcomes of this research can be used to tailor advice on HPAI control and prevention to different poultry farming groups by accounting for specific factors influencing their decision-making, instead of using one-size-fit-all communication approach.

Duck hunters' perceptions of risk for avian influenza, Georgia, USA.

To determine duck hunters'risk for highly pathogenic avian influenza, we surveyed duck hunters in Georgia, USA, during 2007-2008, about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices. We found they engage in several practices that could expose them to the virus. Exposures and awareness were highest for those who had hunted >10 years.

To report or not to report: a psychosocial investigation aimed at improving early detection of avian influenza outbreaks.

The aim of this study was to identify difficulties and barriers to reporting clinically suspect situations, possibly caused by avian influenza (AI), and to explore possible incentives to reporting such situations, with the ultimate aim of facilitating early detection of AI outbreaks. Focus group sessions were held with policy-makers from the competent authority, representatives of veterinary practitioners and poultry farmers. Personal interviews with a group of poultry farmers and practitioners were held to ascertain the difficulties and barriers they perceived and their proposed solutions. An electronic questionnaire was put on the websites of a poultry farmer union and the Royal Dutch Veterinary Association to investigate perceptions and attitudes concerning AI-suspect situations in The Netherlands. Six themes emerged identifying factors that hinder the reporting of a clinically suspect situation: lack of knowledge and uncertainty about clinical signs of AI; guilt, shame and prejudice; negative opinion of control measures; dissatisfaction with post-reporting procedures; lack of trust in veterinary authorities; lack of transparency in reporting procedures and uncertainty about the notification process. Recommendations to facilitate early detection of AI are discussed.

Preventing zoonotic influenza H5N1 in human: Pictorial versus literal health communication methods.

Outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1 in poultry occurred in Africa's poultry and 16 countries have reported human infections globally. Intensified human-animal interactions necessitate correct communication of health messages to reduce zoonotic infection. This work was done to determine differences between pictorial and literal health education communication. Cross-sectional survey using literal and pictorial questionnaires in LBMs and poultry farms was carried out among respondents based on matching criteria. Responses were scored and analysed with probability of independence using Chi square test and pairwise correlation. The degree of knowledge of clinical signs in birds, species affected, communication means and biosecurity were good, that of the post-mortem signs was poor with increasing potentials of human exposure to virus-rich visceral tissues from slaughtered sick birds. Marked differences exist for the various items listed within each knowledge field, the odds of having correct responses from pictorial were better than with literal respondents. Risky practices were still practised in the LBMs despite the good degree of knowledge of hygiene and biosecurity. Knowledge and implementation does not always correlate and pictorial representation out surpasses literal method in communicating potential zoonotic H5N1 influenza A infection to the undiscerning public.

Risk perceptions related to SARS and avian influenza: theoretical foundations of current empirical research.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003 and the subsequent emergence of the H5N1 virus have highlighted the threat of a global pandemic influenza outbreak. Planning effective public health control measures for such a case will be highly dependent on sound theory-based research on how people perceive the risks involved in such an event. PURPOSE: The present article aims to review theoretical models and concepts underlying current empirical research on pandemic influenza risk perception. METHOD: A review was conducted based on 28 empirical studies from 30 articles which were published between 2003 and 2007. RESULTS: Concepts of risk perception mostly seemed more pragmatic than theory-based and were highly heterogeneous, for instance, in terms of conceptualizing risk perception as an exclusively cognitive or as a cognitive and emotional phenomenon or whether the concept was dominated by expectancy or expectancy and value components. Similarly, the majority of studies investigating risk perceptions and protective behaviors were not model-based. CONCLUSIONS: The current body of knowledge can only provide preliminary insights. Unlike the reviewed studies, which were mostly launched as a rapid response to outbreak situations, future research will have to invest more strongly into theoretical work to provide sounder evidence.

Willingness to take travel-related health risks--a study among Finnish tourists in Asia during the avian influenza outbreak.

BACKGROUND: Health risk perception and behavior of tourists during epidemics is a challenge for behavioral medicine. PURPOSE: The purpose was to analyze associations of psychosocial factors and willingness to take health risks on holiday and business trips. METHOD: Subjects (survey n = 338) were Finnish tourists visiting South-East Asia during the avian influenza epidemic of 2004. On holidays, 13.8%, and on business trips, 6.3% would take (rather) high risks, 14.1% reported having tendency to take health risks. Willingness to take health risks on both kinds of trips was lower among those +40 years old than those <40. Comparatively high risk-taking tendency and high perceived HIV risk were related to the increased willingness to take health risks on both kinds of trips. RESULTS: On holidays, willingness to take health risks was related to trust in fate, and on business trips, this was also related to trust in God and less precautionary behavior of avoiding hand shaking, but also to higher estimation of other risks in life. CONCLUSION: Younger travelers and those on holidays are willing to take more health risks than those who are older or on business trips. Travel advice during epidemics could be differentially targeted to different age groups and to holiday and business travelers.

Sources of information and health beliefs related to SARS and avian influenza among Chinese communities in the United Kingdom and The Netherlands, compared to the general population in these countries.

BACKGROUND: Ethnic minorities in Europe such as the Chinese may need a special strategy with regard to risk communication about emerging infectious diseases. To engage them in precautionary actions, it is important to know their information sources, knowledge, and health beliefs. PURPOSE: This study's purpose is to study the use of information sources, knowledge, and health beliefs related to SARS and avian flu of Chinese people in the UK and The Netherlands, and to make comparisons with the general population in these countries. METHOD: Results of a self-administered questionnaire among 300 British/Dutch Chinese were compared to data obtained from a computer-assisted phone survey among the general population (n = 800). RESULTS: British/Dutch Chinese got most information about emerging diseases from family and friends, followed by Chinese media and British/Dutch TV. They had less confidence than general groups in their doctor, government agencies, and consumer/patient interest groups. Their knowledge of SARS was high. They had a lower perceived threat than general populations with regard to SARS and avian flu due to a lower perceived severity. They had higher self-efficacy beliefs regarding SARS and avian flu. CONCLUSION: In case of new outbreaks of SARS/avian flu in China, local authorities in the UK and The Netherlands can best reach Chinese people through informal networks and British/Dutch TV, while trying to improve confidence in information from the government. In communications, the severity of the disease rather than the susceptibility appears to need most attention.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with avian influenza along the live chicken market chains in Eastern China: A cross-sectional survey in Shanghai, Anhui, and Jiangsu.

The avian influenza (AI) virus of the H7N9 subtype emerged in China in 2013. Live bird markets (LBMs) selling live meat chickens were indicated to present a high-risk of the virus dissemination. This study aimed to quantify the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on AI and to measure the associated risk factors among different actors along the live chicken market chain within H7N9-affected Eastern provinces in China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in these provinces from June to July 2014. Structured questionnaires about KAP on AI were delivered to chicken farmers, chicken vendors, and consumers in LBMs. Multivariable generalized least squares regression models were developed to identify predictors of KAP scores among different actors. Our results indicate that KAP scores of chicken farmers were generally higher than those of chicken vendors. Chicken farmers who worked for more than 15 years had significantly lower total KAP scores than those who worked for less than 6 years. Chicken farmers who worked more than 15 hrs in a day had significantly lower attitude scores than those who worked less than 6 hrs. For chicken vendors, females and individuals > 35 years old had significantly lower knowledge scores compared to the reference categories. Practice scores were significantly higher in female vendors and those vendors who also conducted slaughter compared to males and vendors who did not conduct slaughter. Consumers who bought chicken at least once every month had better risk awareness compared to those who bought chicken at least once every week. In addition, female consumers had significantly better practice scores than male consumers. In conclusion, risk-based health promotion interventions should be developed and implemented by animal health agencies (targeting farmers and vendors) and public health agencies (targeting frequent and male consumers) to prevent transmission of H7N9 along the market chain in China.

A Comparative Analysis of Risk Perception and Coping Behaviors among Chinese Poultry Farmers Regarding Human and Poultry Infection with Avian Influenza.

Poultry farmers face a dual risk when mutant avian influenza (AI) virus exhibits zoonotic characteristics. A/H5N1 and A/H7N9 are two principal strains of the AI virus that have captured public attention in recent years, as they have both been reported and can infect poultry and humans, respectively. Previous studies have focused either on poultry farmers' risk perception and biosecurity preventive behaviors (BPBs) against A/H5N1 infection with poultry, or on their risk perception and personal protective behaviors (PPBs) against human infection with A/H7N9, even though these two strains often appear simultaneously. To bridge this research gap, a survey (N = 426) was conducted in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui to assess risk perception and coping behaviors adopted by poultry farmers facing the dual risk of these two viral strains. Paired sample t-tests revealed that farmers' perceived risk of poultry infection with A/H5N1 was significantly higher than their perceived risk of human infection with A/H7N9, and that their reported frequency of BPBs against A/H5N1 was significantly higher than the frequency of PPBs against A/H7N9. Moreover, farmers were less familiar with AI infection in human beings compared to that in poultry, but they felt a higher sense of control regarding human AI infection. Multivariate regression analyses showed that farm size and perceived risks of both human and poultry infection with AI were positively associated with BPBs and PPBs. The findings of this research suggest that a campaign to spread knowledge about human AI infection among poultry farmers is needed, and that a policy incentive to encourage large-scale poultry farming could be effective in improving implementation of BPBs and PPBs.

Impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome and the perceived avian influenza epidemic on the increased rate of influenza vaccination among nurses in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of influenza vaccination and the factors associated with the vaccination's acceptance among nurses in Hong Kong. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: Nurses practicing between 2003 and 2007. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all nurses registered with any of the 3 nursing associations that participated in this study. RESULTS: A total of 941 completed questionnaires were available for analysis, though not all nurses responded to every question (response rate, 33.5%-36.3%). Vaccination rates in 2006 and 2007 were 57.2% and 46.2%, respectively. Nurses who were vaccinated in 2006 were more likely to get vaccinated in 2007 (P<.01); 56% of the nurses perceived influenza vaccine as being effective against influenza. The perceived effectiveness of influenza vaccine was a consistent predictor of rates of vaccination in 2006 (odds ratio [OR], 8.47 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 6.13-11.70]; P<.01) and 2007 (OR, 6.05 [95% CI, 3.79-9.67]; P<.01). Concern about contracting avian influenza was a predictor of the vaccination rate in 2006 but not in 2007 (OR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.03-2.09]; P<.05), as was the perceived lack of control over avian influenza infection (OR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.06-2.18]; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The overall influenza vaccination rate for nurses in Hong Kong was about 50%. It was affected by the perceived threat of an impending outbreak. The attitudes of nurses toward the effectiveness of and rationale for vaccination were a major barrier to increasing the rate of vaccination.

Consumer knowledge and risk perceptions of avian influenza.

This study examined consumer risk perceptions and knowledge of avian influenza and its linkage to behavioral changes in chicken consumption. A consumer survey was administered in 3 metropolitan areas in Taiwan in 2007. Multivariate analyses were utilized in this study to analyze data. Findings in this study indicated that respondents who were more knowledgeable of avian influenza with relatively high levels of risk perceptions would be likely to stay away from birds and the crowd. Respondents with relatively low levels of avian influenza knowledge were likely to prefer not eating chicken at all under a possible threat of avian influenza outbreaks. Respondents with low risk perception levels would be more likely to maintain usual chicken consumption than those with high risk perception levels if outbreaks of avian influenza occurred. Contributions of this study are to provide new insights into knowledge and risk perceptions of avian influenza and to reveal behavioral changes in chicken consumption in an area that a pandemic situation like avian influenza has not occurred but under a possible threat. Findings in this study would be beneficial to government administration and industry managers in designing effective information communication for educational purposes to ease possible effect on the industry as well as the consumer market if outbreaks had occurred in Taiwan.

What drives the choice of poultry market channel and the change of purchase behavior due to highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks?

In Indonesia, market channels play an important role in food security in poultry meats. This review explains Indonesian consumers' choice of market channels to purchase poultry, and consumer concern of food scares and food safety in their consumption due to highly pathology avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. The survey was conducted for the traditional and the modern channels and involves a sample of 1096 respondents in the Greater Jakarta Area. The logistic regression analysis reports the model proved that the substantial findings in the choice for the modern poultry market channel are the price/quality relationship, the safety feature, and the level of consumer trust. Some variables explaining the change in purchase behavior due to HPAI outbreaks are similar to the results of the choice of market channel. This study shows that the developed assessment can be used by the government to make the poultry supply more safe.

Risk perceptions of public health and food safety hazards in poultry husbandry by citizens, poultry farmers and poultry veterinarians.

Differences in risk perceptions of public health and food safety hazards in various poultry husbandry systems by various stakeholder groups, may affect the acceptability of those husbandry systems. Therefore, the objective was to gain insight into risk perceptions of citizens, poultry farmers, and poultry veterinarians regarding food safety and public health hazards in poultry husbandry systems, and into factors explaining these risk perceptions. We surveyed risk perceptions of Campylobacter contamination of broiler meat, avian influenza introduction in laying hens, and altered dioxin levels in eggs for the most commonly used broiler and laying hen husbandry systems in Dutch citizens (n = 2,259), poultry farmers (n = 100), and poultry veterinarians (n = 41). Citizens perceived the risks of the three hazards in the indoor systems higher and in the outdoor systems lower than did the professionals. Citizens reported higher concerns regarding aspects reflecting underlying psychological factors of risk perception compared to professionals. Professionals indicated a relatively low level of personal control, which might imply risk denial. Of the socio-demographic characteristics, gender and childhood residence were associated with risk perceptions. The influence of other factors of risks perception are discussed. It is suggested that risk perceptions of all stakeholder groups are influenced by affect, stigma, and underlying values. To adapt current or new husbandry systems that can count on societal support, views of key stakeholders and multiple aspects such as animal welfare, public health, food safety, and underlying values should be considered integrally. When trade-offs, such as between animal welfare and public health have to be made, insight into underlying values might help to find consensus among stakeholders.

Perceptions related to human avian influenza and their associations with anticipated psychological and behavioral responses at the onset of outbreak in the Hong Kong Chinese general population.

BACKGROUND: Anticipated psychological responses and perceptions of risk have not been examined prior to the outbreak of an epidemic. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional, telephone survey, 805 Chinese adults in Hong Kong were interviewed anonymously in November, 2005 to examine beliefs related to H5N1 avian influenza and anticipated responses. RESULTS: Of respondents, 71.4% and 52.4%, respectively, believed that bird-to-human or human-to-human H5N1 transmission would occur in the next year. In the event of a bird-to-human or human-to-human outbreak in Hong Kong, many anticipated high fatality rates (70.5% and 74.4%, respectively), permanent physical damage (52.0% and 54.9%, respectively), inadequate vaccines (50.0% and 64.4%, respectively), insufficient medicine supplies (43.7% and 54.5%, respectively), inadequate hospital infection control (35.1% and 43.3%, respectively), high susceptibility of family members contracting H5N1 (13.9% and 24.3%, respectively), and impact on oneself/family worse than those of severe acute respiratory syndrome (21.2 and 25.0%, respectively). Most anticipated at least 1 of the 7 studied stress-related responses (e.g., panic) or the adoption of at least 1 of the 5 studied preventive behavioral measures (e.g., avoiding going out). CONCLUSION: Panic and interruption of daily routines may occur in the event of a human avian influenza outbreak. Dissemination of accurate, timely information would reduce unnecessary distress and unwanted behaviors.

Single nucleoprotein residue determines influenza A virus sensitivity to an intertypic suppression mechanism.

Several mechanisms underlying intertypic interference between co-infecting influenza types A and B viruses (IAV and IBV) have been proposed. We have recently described one in which IBV's nucleoprotein (BNP) sequestered IAV's nucleoprotein (ANP) and suppressed IAV polymerase and growth. However, its anti-IAV capacity and limitations have not been fully explored. Here, we showed that BNP's inhibitory effect was more potent toward a wide array of avian IAVs, whereas human IAVs revealed moderate resistance. BNP sensitivity was largely determined by ANP's residue 343 at the NP oligomerization interface. An avian IAV polymerase carrying an NP-V343L mutation switched from being highly BNP-sensitive to moderately BNP-resistant, and vice versa for a human IAV polymerase carrying a reverse mutation. To highlight its capacity, we demonstrated that the polymerases of highly-pathogenic H5N1 and the pandemic 2009 (H1N1) strains are strongly inhibited by BNP. Our work provides insights into lineage-specific sensitivity to BNP-mediated intertypic interference.

Cultural Practices Shaping Zoonotic Diseases Surveillance: The Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Thailand Native Chicken Farmers.

Effectiveness of current passive zoonotic disease surveillance systems is limited by the under-reporting of disease outbreaks in the domestic animal population. Evaluating the acceptability of passive surveillance and its economic, social and cultural determinants appears a critical step for improving it. A participatory rural appraisal was implemented in a rural subdistrict of Thailand. Focus group interviews were used to identify sanitary risks perceived by native chicken farmers and describe the structure of their value chain. Qualitative individual interviews with a large diversity of actors enabled to identify perceived costs and benefits associated with the reporting of HPAI suspicions to sanitary authorities. Besides, flows of information on HPAI suspected cases were assessed using network analysis, based on data collected through individual questionnaires. Results show that the presence of cockfighting activities in the area negatively affected the willingness of all chicken farmers and other actors to report suspected HPAI cases. The high financial and affective value of fighting cocks contradicted the HPAI control policy based on mass culling. However, the importance of product quality in the native chicken meat value chain and the free veterinary services and products delivered by veterinary officers had a positive impact on suspected case reporting. Besides, cockfighting practitioners had a significantly higher centrality than other actors in the information network and they facilitated the spatial diffusion of information. Social ties built in cockfighting activities and the shared purpose of protecting valuable cocks were at the basis of the diffusion of information and the informal collective management of diseases. Building bridges with this informal network would greatly improve the effectiveness of passive surveillance.