Outbreaks of low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses of the H7N3 subtype were first detected in Italy in October 2002, and the virus continued to circulate between 2002 and 2004 in a densely populated poultry area in the northeast portion of that country. This virus circulated in...

A two year study (2008-2009) was carried out to monitor the Usutu virus (USUV) circulation in Italy. Sentinel horses and chickens, wild birds and mosquitoes were sampled and tested for the presence of USUV and USUV antibodies within the WND National Surveillance plan. Seroconversion evidenced in...

Avian metapneumoviruses (AMPV) of subtype B dominate over other subtypes on Italian poultry farms in northern Italy. AMPVs from the Veneto region of Italy between 1987 and 2007 were sequenced in their attachment (G) and fusion (F) protein genes, together with other subtype B AMPVs from other parts...

Since the emergence of avian metapnuemoviruses (AMPVs) a range of live attenuated vaccines derived from chicken and turkey isolates have been developed in a bid to control the disease. It has been hypothesised that AMPV vaccines will be more efficacious in the species from which the progenitor...

Infection of turkeys and chickens with Avian Metapneumovirus (AMPV) leads to disease and serious economic losses in unprotected birds. In the late 1980s, live AMPV vaccines became available in Europe and these largely brought the disease under control. However disease has still been encountered and ...