Communities Stop Bird Flu in its Tracks

• Avian and Pandemic Influenza
• Success Stories

Increasingly in rural Vietnam, villagers call in the men and women dressed in blue polo shirts to help them figure out why their poultry are getting sick and dying. With reason: these disease wardens at the frontlines detected 10 of 13 bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam's central province of Quang Tri between March and August 2011.

In total, about 1,800 grassroots animal health and human health workers, known as community-based surveillance (CBS) collaborators, were trained to detect, prevent and control local outbreaks of avian influenza and other emerging infectious diseases in human, poultry and livestock under a USAID-supported program, 301 alone in Quang Tri Province.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has become endemic in Vietnam, which remains one of a handful of high burden countries globally. The virus is often carried by ducks that show no clinical symptoms. With 82 million farmed ducks in Vietnam, the risk of possible outbreaks and a resurgence in the number and severity of outbreaks remains a real threat. Identifying risks and detecting outbreaks at the community level by the collaborators is key.

"CBS collaborators are near to people in the community so we can create bonding and trust," said Mr. Nguyen Minh Luong, CBS collaborator in Lam Xuan Village of Gio Linh District who detected and reported an outbreak in 2011. "When people believe in us, they report more to us, whereas in the past they did not know who to report to."

This new community-based surveillance model has already shown impact. In Quang Tri, an outbreak in a flock of ducks was detected and controlled in March 2011. The farmer, Mr. Phan The from Hoi Yen Village of Hai Lang District had bought 2,000 ducklings from a local market. Ten days later he reported a sudden disease outbreak and the death of 10 ducks to Mr. Vo Van Hung, the CBS collaborator/Animal Health Worker from the nearby Kim Long Village.

Not suspecting bird flu, Mr. Hung initially tried to treat the flock with antibiotics. When more birds started dying, he realized that this could be a suspected outbreak of bird flu and immediately notified the District Veterinary Station. A provincial level veterinarian arrived on the scene, collected and submitted samples for laboratory analysis and an outbreak of H5N1was quickly confirmed. The entire flock was culled and the farm and surrounding areas disinfected. Per national policy, the farmer received compensation for his lost flock. No further outbreaks were detected in the area.

Another outbreak in a flock of 1,100 ducks was detected in the same district in April in Hung Nhon Village. The farmer, Mr. Vo Van Ech, reported his suspicion to Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong, the Commune Animal Health Worker for testing and containment. After confirmation of the outbreak, all ducks were culled and again the outbreak was contained.

From June to August 2011, another eight suspected HPAI cases were reported by CBS collaborators in Quang Tri province to local animal health workers/collaborators and District Veterinary Services. All outbreaks were confirmed by lab reports, and in total more than 3,500 ducks and 120 chickens were culled and the outbreaks contained.

"With the knowledge I have gained through the project, it is easier for me to detect diseases and help farmers respond," said Nguyen Van Phuc, 27, who has worked as a collaborator in Le Mon village of Quang Tri Province for over a year. Through regular visits to over 80 families raising 50 to over 1,000 birds, he was able to support the newly established CBS network in the province to also detect an outbreak of Newcastle disease.