The role of ducks in detecting Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in small-scale backyard poultry farms.

ABSTRACT: Previous research efforts on highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) suggest that different avian species exhibit a varied severity of clinical signs after infection. Waterfowl, such as ducks or geese, can be asymptomatic and act as silent carriers of H5N1, making detection harder and increasing the risk of further transmission, potentially leading to significant economic losses. For backyard hobby farmers, passive reporting is a common HPAI detection strategy. We aim to develop a computational, mechanistic model to quantify the effectiveness of this strategy by simulating the spread of H5N1 in a mixed-species, small-population backyard flock. Quantities such as detection time and undetected burden of infection in various scenarios are compared. Our results indicate that the presence

SUBMITTER: Wu SX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12810905 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature