Isolation and identification of avian influenza virus from broiler flocks in sharkia governorate

Avian influenza is considered to be one of the most economically important disease affecting poultry industry worldwide. Emergence of HP AI H5Nl virus in Egypt in mid-February 2006 caused significant losses for the poultry industry and constituted a potenAlthough several H5Nl and H5N2 inactivated vaccmes were imported in a trial to control H5Nl infections in Egypt. Nevertheless, it still endemic in the country and continues to constitute a major challenge to poultry population. Unfortunately, the long patThe present work was planned to isolate of AIV from broiler flocks of Sharkia Province in both embryonated chicken eggs and different cell lines of manunalian origin (Vero & :MDBK). In addition to CEF followed by identification using HI test, genotyping uto sequences of most common imported vaccine strains used in Egypt.In this study, a total number of 140 tissue samples, 40 tracheal swabs and 40 cloacal swabs were collected from broiler chickens and backyard birds (chickens and ducks) used for isolation of AIV in ECE. In case of broiler chickens, the positive HI samples