Australian encephalitis: Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Programme: January/April 2001 (revised)

Abstract

This document (last updated 31 August 2001) is a revised version of the 'Australian encephalitis: Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Programme: January/April 2001' short report, and includes some data not received at the time of the first published version of this report (https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2001.25.10, published online 30 April 2001).

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.