Effective Diagnostics and Novel Vaccine Strategies for the Control of Multiple Respiratory Viral Infections in Egyptian Poultry
The Poultry sector contributes significantly to the food security both in the United Kingdom and Egypt. However, multiple viruses that infect poultry compromise the overall productivity and contribution to global food security. Virus infections that have significantly threatened the Egyptian poultry sectors include Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Moreover, in recent years, the emergence and spread of avian influenza subtype H5N1 and enzootic infections of subtype H9N2 in many countries, including Egypt, has threatened the sustainability of the sector. These viruses also remain a credible threat to public health with human H5N1 and H9N2 infections occurring in Egypt recently.
The complex and mixed respiratory viral infections (NDV, IBV and AIV) have posed complications and even failure of standard diagnostic assays in detection of new genetic variant strains. Rapid, sensitive and safe diagnosis, however, is at the basis of appropriate therapeutic and preventive measures including vaccination. Due to infection of more than one virus in a single bird, the overall pathology is further enhanced and most of times, the vaccines fail to protect chickens from these infections.
This project, funded by a Newton Fund Institutional Links grant is intended to establish long term and sustainable collaboration among five institutions from Egypt and the UK in building capacity to drive information from field circulating viruses. Using this data, we aim to develop effective diagnostic assays and novel potent vaccines. The outcome will help recognition of viruses that have zoonotic importance as well as viruses that pose significant economic impact on the livestock, especially for the poultry of Egypt (The primary source for income to the Egyptian economy) and UK (contributes £4 billion in national economy). These outcomes are fundamental for societal welfare, economic development and their impacts on environment and health.
