Working With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus AIV

  Avian IAV continue to circulate among wild birds and poultry. The increase in the global human population, together with a per capita increase in demand for meat, has resulted in an enormous increase in production of chickens and domestic ducks, especially in Asia.

  Avian influenza is a virus that causes disease in birds. Poultry, pigeons and wild or migratory birds, such as ducks, can become infected with the virus. There are two forms of the virus: high pathogenicity (HPAI) and low pathogenicity (LPAI). Pathogenicity indicates the severity of the disease if the bird contracts the virus.

  Transmission of all avian influenza viruses begins with wild birds that carry the virus in their intestines but usually do not get sick from it. Domestic fowl, especially chickens, ducks, and turkeys, are susceptible to infection and may become ill when infected. Transmission to domestic fowl occurs by exposure to secretions and excretions contaminated with the virus, exposure to surfaces contaminated by infected birds, or by direct contact with infected birds.

Rarely, people can become infected by direct contact with an infected bird through handling, slaughtering, defeathering, or preparing the bird for consumption.

The Avian Influenza Virus Antigen Rapid Test is based on sandwich lateral flow immunochromatographic assay. The test device has a testing window for the observation of assay running and result reading. The testing window has an invisible T (test) zone and a C (control) zone before running the assay. When the treated sample was applied into the sample hole on the device, the liquid will laterally flow through the surface of the test strip and react with the pre-coated monoclonal antibodies. If there is AIV antigen in the specimen, a visible T line will appears. The C line should always appear after a sample is applied, which indicates a valid result. By this means, the device can accurately indicate the presence of AIV virus antigen in the specimen.

- Dip the swab stick from the bird’s eyes, trachea, cloaca to collect the secretion. Please make the swab wet sufficiently.

- Insert the wet swab into the provided assay buffer tube. Agitates the swab to assure good sample extraction.

- If blood sample, it is suggested to collect 0.5-1.0mL of blood and do a centrifugation at 1000 rpm. Use the serum directly in the assay.

- Take out the cassette from the foil pouch and place it horizontally.

- Suck the sample extraction liquid or serum and place 3 drops into the assay sample hole “S”.

- Interpret the result in 10 minutes. Result after 30 minutes is considered as invalid.

Positive: The presence of both “C” line and zone “T” line, no matter T line is clear or vague.

Negative: Only clear C band appear. No T band.

Invalid: No colored band appears in C zone. No matter if T band appears.