Avian Influenza Pandemic Influenza (AIPI)

MUWRP along with Makerere University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University Institute of Public Health (IHP) and Nature Uganda have set up an integrated Avian Influenza Surveillance system, based on sentinel surveillance system model that will result in the creation of influenza epidemiological and virus-strain databases from both humans and birds.

Avian Influenza also known as "Bird Flu" is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect birds and less commonly pigs. However, they have now crossed this species barrier to infect humans. Of the few avian influenza strains that have crossed into Humans, the H5N1 strain is the most virulent one hence need for active surveillance.

The objective of the study is to undertake active and passive surveillance of influenza viruses and influenza-like viruses in humans, animals and birds by establishment of surveillance capacity and isolating and characterizing influenza and influenza-like viruses in the country. The proposed surveillance will contribute to global efforts in providing an early warning of the circulation of new and dangerous influenza subtypes in both humans and animals that could result in serious pandemics and epizootics in domestic poultry and humans. The surveillance will further contribute to the virus gene pool required for the search for potential vaccine candidates for the control of a possible pandemic outbreak.

Other collaborators in this study are; the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Ministry of Health (MoH), The US Army Medical Research Unit ( Kenya ), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis - USA, and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF).