The Asia-Pacific Working Group on Migratory Waterbirds and Avian Influenza (APWG-MWAI) was established under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Committee, the predecessor of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership and the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) Action Plan.

At the first meeting of the Partnership in November 2006, this Working Group was officially endorsed as a working group of the EAAF Partnership to address Outcome 11 of the Flyway Partnership Implementation Strategy (knowledge of the potential role of migratory waterbirds in disease transmission, especially Avian Influenza, is enhanced.

The goal of the group is to coordinate, facilitate and promote collation of avian influenza-related waterbird programmes and activities in the East Asian-Australasian and the Central Asian Flyways.

• Terms of Reference (Feb 2008)  

Working Group Co-chairs

Taej Mundkur
Wetlands International
Wetlands International Headquarters, Horapark 9 (2nd floor) 6717 LZ Ede Postbox 471, 6700 AL, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 318 660910 Fax: +31 318 660950
E-mail: [email protected]

 

Scott Newman
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Tel: +84-04-3850-1833
E-mail: [email protected]

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Useful Documents

• Management guidelines – Mitigation and data collection strategies for avian influenza in bird colonies in the Wadden Sea (2023)
• Resurgence of avian influenza virus (Apr 2022)
• CMS Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds Issues Recommendations (2022)
• Live bird markets as evolutionary epicentres of H9N2 low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in Korea (2020)
• Highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in 2016 and 2017 – observations and future perspectives (Dec 2017)  
• Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds statement (Dec 2016)   
• FAO AI Situation Update: East and Southeast Asia (Oct-Dec 2015)
• Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds statement (Dec 2014)  
• Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds statement (Jan 2014)  
• Ramsar Technical Report No. 7: Wetland Disease Manual Guidelines for Assessment, Monitoring and Management of Animal Disease in Wetlands (13.9 MB, 2012)  
• Animal Health Australia: Farm Biosecurity Manual for the Duck Meat Industry (Jan 2011)  
• Emerging Infectious Diseases Vol. 16, No. 12: Surveillance and Analysis of Avian Influenza Viruses, Australia (Dec 2010)  
• Australian Chicken Meat Federation Inc: National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Chicken Growers (Feb 2010)  
• Australian Government: National Water Biosecurity Manual for Poultry Production (Aug 2009)  
• Australian Government: National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Poultry Production (May 2009)  
• FAO: Chapter 3 – Wild Bird Capture Techniques (2007)  
• FAO: Chapter 4 – Bird Handling and Ringing Techniques (2007)  
• FAO: Wild Birds and Avian Influenza (4MB, 2007)
• (Standard Operating Procedures to prevent HPAI outbreaks (in Japanese), Oct 2007)  
• FAO: Wild Bird HPAI SURVEILLANCE (2006)  
• The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health: Sick & Dead Bird Health Surveilance (Nov 2005)   
• Farm Biosecurity: Code of Practice for Biosecurity in the Commercial Egg Industry (Jun 2003)  

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Useful information and news

The provided links lead to websites with information about avian influenza and its impact on wild birds along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway:

• EAAFP: How to battle bird flu? Saving wild birds, poultry and humans
• Animal Health Australia: Animal Health Surveillance Quarterly Reports 
• Avian Influenza aka “Bird Flu” Facebook Group
• FAO: Agriculture Department Animal Production and Health Division (2006)  (disease updates: click [here])
• The Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) (registration needed for updated news)
• The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE): Avian Influenza Portal and Self-declaration publication (registration needed for updated news)
• Wetlands International: Asia-Pacific Working Group on Migratory Birds and Avian Influenza (Dec 2015)
• Wildlife Health Australia: High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Information

 

Recent webinars on avian influenza:

• How to protect wildlife from avian flu in UNESCO World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Ramsar sites (2024): Presentation recordings

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EAAFP AI poster

EAAFP AI poster (English)

EAAFP AI poster (Korean)