Field activities for the TrackFLU cross-sectional study are well advanced, we have now reached our 7th province, and one last province to go. This first round of fieldwork is nearly complete!
Over 10,000 samples from birds and the environment have been collected among 200 premises, including live bird markets, slaughterhouses and farms, and sent daily to the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge in Phnom Penh. The virology unit is actively processing them to detect avian influenza subtypes and initiate sequencing. Already, several sampled sites show evidence of co-circulation and co-infection with different subtypes.
In parallel, more than 300 interviews on poultry trade and production systems have been conducted. We are gathering a wealth of information that will help us better understand how avian influenza viruses evolve and spread. Soon, it will be time to sit down, organize and analyze this rich dataset. We look forward to sharing the first results soon!
