The most important control measures are rapid destruction ("culling" or "stamping out") of all infected or exposed birds, proper disposal of carcasses, and the quarantining and rigorous disinfection of farms.

The virus is killed by heat (56 degrees C for 3 hours or 60 degrees C for 30 minutes) and common disinfectants, such as fomalin and iodine compounds.

The virus can survive, at cool temperatures, in contaminated manure for at least three months. In water, the virus can survive for up to four days at 22 degrees C and more than 30 days at 0 degrees C. For the highly pathogenic form, studies have shown that a single gram of contaminated manure can contain enough virus to infect 1 million birds.

Restrictions on the movement of live poultry, both within and between countries, are another important control measure.

Close