AVIS Avian Influenza - 2006 Fact Sheet
Authors and General Editors
- Dr. Dennis Alexander - Head of Virology, Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Weybridge, UK and OIE designated Expert for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
- Dr. William A. Geering - AVIS Scientific General Editor, Canberra, Australia.
- Dr. Mark M. Rweyemamu - AVIS College Technical Director, London, UK.
Commissioning Editor
- Professor Julian Hilton - Chairman, AVIS College, AleffGroup, London, UK
AVIS: The Advanced Veterinary Information System
The AVIS System was initiated in 1992 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Office International des Epizooties (OIE - World Organisation for Animal Health), Institute for Animal Health (IAH) Pirbright and Telos Aleff Ltd to pioneer the creation of peer-reviewed, "gold-standard" multimedia reference and training materials for professionals and decision-makers in animal health and production.
Avian Influenza 2006
The Avian Influenza 2006 Edition is a revised and updated version of the 2002 edition. Avian influenza, especially that due to the H5N1 sub-type, has become the animal disease of contemporary global impact since it was first reported to the OIE on December 12, 2003 by the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Since then it has spread in three waves:
The first was during late 2003 and the first half of 2004 when the disease spread alarmingly to several countries in South-east and East Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, South Korea and Japan. The disease seemed to be getting under control by April-May 2004.
Then during the second half of 2004, a second wave started with more outbreaks in South-eastern and Eastern Asia in the same countries and extending to such contiguous countries as Malaysia.
The third wave started in May 2005 when H5N1 was isolated from dead migratory birds on Qinghai Lake, North-western China. From this time H5N1 avian influenza was detected in Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria and Turkey. Meanwhile in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and China human infections and deaths have been recorded in persons with contact with infected birds. Turkey has just in January 2006 recorded the first human case outside East Asia.
All these events have pointed to a risk of an influenza pandemic, which as of January 2006 has been rated by WHO at Phase III out of V. Information about avian influenza is both diverse and somewhat confusing for those that are not following the evolution of the epidemic closely.
Avian Influenza Program Content
The AVIS Avian Influenza program attempts to provide illustrated descriptions of the key features of the disease, the virus, the dynamics of disease and issues of disease management including surveillance, early warning, prevention, control and emergency preparedness in six steps:
- Basic knowledge about avian influenza
- The nature of the disease
- Diagnosis
- Socio-economic impact
- Public health significance
- Prevention and control.
Each of the Main Headings is further sub-divided into Related Topics. Within or related to the text for each section there are hotlinks to both internal and external resources.
The program is enriched by many illustrations and by cross-references and links to other sources of authoritative knowledge. There are built-in links to the FAO, OIE and WHO relevant sites for avian influenza.
The AVIS Avian Influenza program, is therefore, a true portal; a one-stop source of contemporary and up-date knowledge on avian influenza and the major events surrounding the evolving epidemic.
Powerful navigation aids, a detailed site map and a search engine make the Avian Influenza knowledge base easy to access and use.
AVIS: Addressing Stakeholder Needs
Different stakeholders in animal health and production have different needs, but common standards link all actions and interventions. AVIS programs address specific stakeholder needs:
- Livestock producers and farming communities
- Planners and decision-makers on the national and sub-national level
- National veterinary authorities and reference sites
- Regional field staff and extension services, including veterinarians
- Laboratory workers
- Epidemiologists and control specialists
- Personnel from enterprises and organizations involved in animal disease control, i.e. meat and dairy industry, vaccine producers, NGOs
- Veterinary students.
Editorial Policy
Since 2004, AVIS has transitioned its editorial stance from a disease- to a risk-driven approach to information. It has adopted the description "high impact disease" as a means of determining what diseases AVIS addresses, and in what depth. In other respects, editorial policy has not changed. All AVIS programs are peer-reviewed. AVIS is delighted to record its continued thanks to the ever-larger number of contributors and reviewers from all over the world who make the programs so successful.
Enquiries and Sales
For inquiries and sales please contact Dr. Malika Moussaid, mmoussaid@aviscollege.com.
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