Division A GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR SURVEYS IN POULTRYF1

Sampling shall cover the winter period as in many countries a large slaughter of poultry (in particular turkeys and geese) takes place around Christmas.

15 March 2005 shall be the date for the submission of the final survey results.

Testing of samples shall be carried out at national laboratories for avian influenza (NL) in Member States or by other laboratories authorised by the competent authorities and under the control of the NL.

All results (both serological and virological) shall be sent to the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for collation. A good flow of information must be ensured. The CRL shall provide technical support and keep an enlarged stock of diagnostic reagents.

All AI virus isolates shall be submitted to the CRL. Viruses of H5/H7 subtype shall be subjected to the standard characterisation tests (nucleotide sequencing/IVPI) according to Council Directive 92/40/EEC.

All positive findings shall be retrospectively investigated at the holding and the conclusions of this investigation shall be reported to the Commission and the CRL.

Specific protocols to accompany the sending of material to the CRL and reporting tables for collection of survey data shall be provided by the CRL. In those tables the laboratory testing methods used shall be indicated.

Blood samples for serological examination shall be collected from all species of poultry, from at least five to 10 birds (except ducks and geese) per holding, and from the different sheds, if more than one shed is present on a holding.

Sampling shall be stratified throughout the whole Member State, so that samples can be considered as representative for the whole Member State, taking into account:

1. (a)

   the number of holdings to be sampled. This number shall be defined so as to ensure the identification of at least one infected holding if the prevalence of infected holdings is at least 5 %, with a 95 % confidence interval (see table 1); and

2. (b)

   the number of birds sampled from each holding shall be defined so as to ensure 95 % probability of identifying at least one positive bird if the prevalence of sero-positive birds is ≥ 30 %.

The sampling design shall also consider:

1. (a)

   the types of production and their specific risks, such as free range, outdoor keeping, multi age layers, use of surface water, a relatively longer life span, the presence of more than one species on the holding, etc.;

2. (b)

   the number of turkey holdings to be sampled, which shall be defined to ensure the identification of at least one infected holding if the prevalence of infected holdings is at least 5 %, with a 99 % confidence interval;

3. (c)

   where holdings producing ratites and quails are present in a Member State they shall be included in the programme;

4. (d)

   the time period; where appropriate, sampling shall be adapted to identified periods, during which the presence of other poultry hosts on a holding might pose a greater risk for disease introduction;

5. (e)

   Member States that must carry out sampling for Newcastle disease to maintain their status as Newcastle disease non-vaccinating countries (Decision 94/327/EC) may utilise these samples from breeding flocks for the surveillance of H5/H7 antibodies.