关键词: 死亡鸟类, 禽流感, H5亚型, 澳门

Abstract:

Objective To identify dead birds infected with bird flu virus in Macao and monitor for potential outbreaks of Avian Influenza, providing the basis for development of Avian Influenza prevention and control in this region. Methods Throat and anal swabs of dead birds in Macao were collected from November 2005 to December 2006 for detection of bird flu using the real-time fluorescent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) diagnostic kit for H5 subtype Avian Influenza virus. Results Of the 866 dead birds picked up in Macao, 296 birds were identified as belonging to 61 species, 28 families, and 11 orders. Resident birds, winter birds and summer birds accounted for 59.3% , 18.5% and 5.6% of the total species number, respectively; travelers, vagrant birds, together with other migratory birds amounted to about 16.7%. Wetland birds accounted for 25.9% , and forest birds for 74.1% . Despite varying number of dead birds found among each month, the difference was not statistically significant (F_13，28＝0.598，P＝0.825). Furthermore, all the dead birds were negative for detection of bird flu virus. Conclusion None of the dead birds detected in Macao from November 2005 to December 2006 died from infections of the highly pathogenic H5 subtype Avian Influenza virus. Their death was likely natural.

Key words: Dead birds, Avian flu, H5 subtype, Macao