الفهرس 
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Abstract
Since 2006, the highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus subtype constitute animal and public health concerns in Egypt. The period between 2006 and 2017 showed huge outbreaks of H5N1 with high loss in poultry population, associated with human cases, The H5N1is now endemic in poultry Egypt. The present study examined the possible risk factors linked to H5N1 infection in poultry and in human work in direct contact with poultry. Tracheal swabs (n =824) were collected from domestic poultry species, including chickens (n=345), ducks (n=246), and turkeys (n=233) during the period from March 2016 to March 2017.
The samples were collected from household and farm sectors sited in the main three regions in Egypt, the Upper (Assiout and Menia), the Central (Cairo and Giza), and the Lower (Sharqia and Qaliobia). The detection of the HPAI H5N1 in tracheal samples of the poultry was performed by real-time real-PCR. Human work in contact with poultry n=53 were included. Blood samples were collected and subjected to hemagglutination inhibition test to examine the presence of antibodies against HPAI H5N1. Two structured questionnaires were used to gather the epidemiological data from poultry and humans included in the study. This was analyzed using Biostatistics software and the risk factors associated with infection with HPAI H5N1 were assessed.
The prevalence of poultry infection with HPAI H5N1 was 4.7 % (39 / 824). A higher prevalence of infection in poultry was found during Spring (7.9%) and Winter (5.9%) than during Summer (2.3%) and Autumn (1.7%). The risk of infection in household sector (7.6%) is higher than that recorded in the farm sector (1.9%). All tested human serum samples were negative to H5N1 antibodies.
In conclusion, the present results suggest that the possible risk factors linked to infection with HPAI H5N1 in poultry include, season (Spring and Winter), bird species (duck), the household sector, as well as frequent transmission of birds along governorates. Furthermore, Upper Egypt region is a high risk for HPAI H5N1 infection, indicating the necessity for regular examination of possible risk factors. This potentially enable an appropriate targeting of control strategies of H5N1 infection in poultry and minimize its impact on the public health.