Seroprevalence of H5 avian influenza virus in birds in the United Arab Emirates.

I N T R O D U C T I O N Avian influenza (AI) (Orthomyxoviridae) is a well-known viral disease that affects birds worldwide. In recent years, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has re-emerged worldwide, raising concern in human and veterinary health authorities. Avian influenza has been reported in many countries from the Middle East region. In Pakistan outbreaks of HPAI H7N3 subtype occurred in poultry in 1995 (Naeem 1998) and of H9N2 in 1998 (Naeem et al. 1999). In Iran five subtypes of avian influenza virus, H3N8, H7N3, H8N4, H9N2 and H10N7, were isolated from migratory ducks during a surveillance campaign in 2003-2004 (Fereidouni et al. 2005). In Kuwait two birds were found to be infected with avian influenza in 2005, a migratory flamingo tested positive for H5N1 and an imported falcon was confirmed to have H5N1 (PROMED 2005). However, the recent isolates of the HPAI H5N1 in falcons of Saudi Arabia (Samour et al, 2007) are of greater concern due to the proximity to UAE.