TO INVESTIGATE THE SERO-PREVALENCE OF AVIAN INFLUENZA ANTIBODIES IN BACKYARD POULTRY OF HAZARA DIVIS

Avian Influenza (AI) is a contagious viral disease cosmopolitan that affects the chickens of all ages with variable mortality ranging from 30% to 100%, depending on the pathogenicity of the AI virus. The current study was conducted to investigate the sero-prevalence of Avian Influenza Antibodies in backyard poultry population of Hazara Division. For this purpose, a total of 500 blood samples were collected in clot activator vacutainer with the help of sterile syringes. These samples were sent to National Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases (NRLPD) for antibody titration through Haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. HI test was conducted for Avian Influenza antibodies according to the protocol described by (Allan, Lancaster, & Toth, 1978), by using 4HA units of Avian Influenza Virus H5, H7 and H9 serotypes. From the obtained results, it was found that from total of 500 serum samples, 11.8% samples were had HI titer of MT (log2)=6.00 to MT (log2)=11.00 and was considered as positive for sero-prevalence of Avian Influenza in backyard poultry population of Hazara Division. Majority of the samples had HI titer of less than MT (log2)= 5.00 and were considered as negative for sero-prevalence of Avian Influenza. Out of the positive samples, maximum sero-prevalence 81.35% was recorded antibodies for AIV-H9 subtype while 18.64% was recorded antibodies for AIV-H5 subtype and no antibodies were found for AIV-H7 subtype. Area wise sero-prevalence was recorded and found that from total of positive samples, Maximum sero-prevalence 52.54% was recorded from District Mansehra, followed by 30.51% was recorded from District Abbottabad and minimum sero-prevalence 16.94% was recorded from District Haripur. Month wise sero-prevalence was recorded and observed that from total of positive samples, maximum sero-prevalence 18 samples (30.51%) were found sero-prevalence in the month of January, followed by February in which 14 samples (23.72%) were found sero-prevalence, followed by March in which 12 samples (20.33%) were found sero-prevalence, followed by December in which 09 samples (15.25%) were found sero-prevalence and 06 samples (10.16%) were found sero-prevalence in the month of April. From the current study it was concluded that the antibodies of Avian Influenza Viruses were present in the backyardpoultry population of Hazara Region especially in District Mansehra. Avian Influenza H9 subtype was most prevalent in the present study. Winter season was ideal for propagation of Avian Influenza Virus in the area.