Avian Influenza Studies In Lebanon

This study will examine the sera of 200 poultry-exposed adults and 50 adult controls and administer questionnaires to identify risk factors for AI infections in human beings.Study volunteers will be interviewed regarding their exposures, medical history, and behaviors using a close-ended questionnaire specifically tailored for this study. A blood sample will be collected from every participant to verify presence of antibodies against the viruses under study. All study materials are in English and Arabic. Along side the human aspect of the study, specimens will be collected from the birds that the individual handles.

This study hypothesizes that they will find evidence of previous infection with these viruses among poultry workers. Furthermore, the study team will collect animal specimens from the farms of the study volunteers and determine the types of Avian Influenza viruses that they harbour.

Inclusion criteria

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be willing to participate by signing a consent form, completing the study questionnaire, and providing a blood sample.

Exclusion criteria

• Less than 18 years old.
• Any known immunosuppressive condition or immune deficiency disease (including HIV infection), or ongoing receipt of any immunosuppressive therapy. (Note that we have chosen to exclude such populations because of their increased risk of acquiring infections, they are relatively few, and are not representative of a national sample).
• Any individual with unknown poultry exposure status, or who was exposed to poultry more than 5 years ago.