Australian encephalitis: Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Programme: January/April 2001

Abstract

A revised version of this report has now been released (https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2001.25.36, published online 30 April 2001). The revised report includes some data which had not been received at the time of this earlier version.

Sentinel chicken flocks are used to monitor flavivirus activity in Australia. The main viruses of concern are Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) and Kunjin which cause the potentially fatal disease encephalitis, in humans. Currently 30 flocks are maintained in the north of Western Australia, 9 in the Northern Territory, 12 in New South Wales and 10 in Victoria. The flocks in Western Australia and the Northern Territory are tested year round but those in New South Wales and Victoria are tested only from November to March, during the main risk season.

Results are coordinated by the Arbovirus Laboratory in Perth and reported bimonthly. For more information and details of the location of sentinel chicken sites see Commun Dis Intell 2000;24:8-9.