The Current Worldwide Status of the Avian Influenza Virus by Dr. Joseph Giambrone

The latest outbreaks of avian influenza have raised concerns for the poultry industry. We already know a lot about influenza, so what are we missing? Are we prepared to deal with an endemic outbreak in the United States? What aspects should be taken into account when designing avian influenza control and mitigation strategies? In this episode, I talk to Dr. Giambrone about all of these issues, including the current situation of avian influenza in the United States and around the world, and possible strategies to handle it.

What you’ll learn:

1. The history of research on bird diseases
2. Avian influenza (AI) control in endemic areas
3. AI vaccines: production, commercialization, and regulatory control
4. Mitigation strategies for AI outbreaks
5. AI pathogenicity and ways to deal with it
6. Public perception of the poultry industry and commercial scale production
7. A clinical picture of immunosuppression
8. Key points for new starters in the industry
9. Best sources for poultry diseases material

Meet the guest:

Dr. Joseph Giambrone is a professor emeritus in Auburn University’s Department of Poultry Science with a joint appointment in the Department of Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. A molecular virologist, immunologist, and epidemiologist, he has been working on understanding viral pathogen ecology for 42 years. As well as developing new and effective vaccines, he led efforts to improve the detection and surveillance of viral diseases. He also developed vaccine strategies to protect commercially grown chickens against pathogens, like avian influenza viruses, that have infected humans. His research has had a profound impact on practices used today to reduce the incidence and severity of viral diseases in commercially grown poultry.