AsianScientist (Apr. 09, 2026)–Reside poultry markets are frequent throughout Asia however current a high-risk atmosphere for the unfold of infectious illnesses. With crowds of people and birds mingling carefully, viruses reminiscent of avian influenza and coronaviruses can simply go between birds or be transmitted to people, making it essential to observe illness to forestall outbreaks.
Present strategies for virus detection in reside markets contain swabbing the throats and digestive tracts of randomly chosen birds, a time consuming and labour intensive course of that poses biosafety dangers to employees. It could actually additionally fail to detect viruses if the chosen birds will not be contaminated on the time of testing.
Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical Faculty have found environmental surveillance may very well be a viable technique to detect a broader vary of viruses in reside poultry markets.
“We confirmed that direct animal testing will not be at all times essential to detect pathogenic viruses in live-bird markets,” mentioned first creator Peter Cronin, analysis fellow at Duke-NUS’ Rising Infectious Illnesses Signature Analysis Programme.
The staff took samples from two reside poultry markets in Cambodia, together with air, cage surfaces, ingesting water, and carcass wash water. They then performed metagenomic evaluation on the samples to determine the viruses current within the atmosphere from their genetic materials.
The outcomes had been in contrast with conventional hen swabs taken on the identical places and instances.
Though there was no important distinction within the variety of viruses captured, environmental sampling detected a extra various unfold of viruses total, with air samples exhibiting the best range of virus species captured.
Importantly, environmental surveillance was in a position to seize a number of viruses that escaped conventional swabbing, together with H5N1, an avian influenza A virus with a 50 p.c mortality fee in people.
“This research gives a extra complete view of viral circulation in reside poultry markets than is feasible by way of single-animal testing alone,” mentioned Professor Gavin Smith, co-senior creator and Director of the Rising Infectious Illnesses Signature Analysis Programme.
Environmental surveillance can’t fully exchange conventional hen swabbing technique, as some viruses are extra simply detected by way of direct swabbing in comparison with environmental sampling.
The researchers recommend that one of the best technique to maximise virus detection entails environmental sampling together with strategic poultry swabbing. This could minimise the biosafety dangers to employees whereas reaching a complete overview of viruses current within the reside market atmosphere.
“By making use of unbiased metagenomic sequencing to environmental samples, we seize viral materials shed throughout shared air and surfaces, enabling broader detection in a cheap and scalable method whereas decreasing the necessity for shut animal contact,” mentioned Smith.
Environmental surveillance may additionally allow focused threat mitigation methods. For instance, a excessive viral load in air samples point out a necessity for higher air flow.
“These findings present that surveillance in high-risk animal-human interfaces will be strengthened although extra environment friendly and safer approaches. Enhancing early detection in the end helps stronger outbreak preparedness,” mentioned Professor Lok Sheemei, Interim Vice-Dean for Analysis at Duke-NUS Medical Faculty
The staff is at the moment increasing their environmental surveillance analysis efforts in different settings like pig slaughterhouses and wildlife environments. As soon as refined, this technique may very well be an environment friendly and sensible instrument for early outbreak detection.
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Supply: Duke-NUS Medical Faculty; Picture: SomboonKaeoboonsong/Freepik
This text will be discovered at: Environmental metagenomics enhances detection of circulating viruses from reside poultry markets in Cambodia
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