Shamima Akter Shammi's scientific contributions

AB S T RA C T Avian Influenza (AI) infection persists in the northeastern part of Bangladesh, Sylhet region. The presence of AI as natural infection in backyard chicken was recently carried out by one of our pilot studies using rapid antigen detection kit from cloacal swab sample. This study aimed at assessing sero-prevalence (antibody positivity) and associated risk factors of avian influenza (AI) infection in three locations of Sylhet region by observational epidemiological and questionnaire-based approach. A total of 282 individual backyard chicken serum raised under free ranging or semi-intensive housing system; pooled to 156 household sample was subjected to serological examinations (ELISA and Hemagglutination inhibition test). Among the Univariate odds ratio of the risk factors and prevalence: feeding rice bran, poultry house location, mud house, bamboo house, Upazilas location and contact with wildlife variables result was significant. To be precise, our data shows a significant association of AI risk for poultry houses in yard rearing system (1.48-11.61% of 95% CI of OR). Also, seroprevalence was higher in backyard chicken encountered with wild birds (1.34-8.21 of 95% CI of OR). Surprisingly, mud Poultry house and feeding rice bran reduced AI seropositivity as a contributing risk factor (1.48-10.68% and 1.48-15.15% of 95% CI of OR, respectively) in backyard chicken. Based on our findings, an overall higher prevalence of 54.84 and 25.83% was observed from samples of Dakshin Surma and South Sunamganj upazila, respectively whereas the lowest prevalence of 25.83% was observed in Kanaighat upazila. Findings from this study merit that bird-level AI infection persists in the study location and associated risk factors or protective factors needs to be further assessed.