Modeling Exotic Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Entrance Risk Through Air Passenger Violations
Journal
Risk Analysis
Journal Volume
32
Journal Issue
6
Pages
1093-1103
Date Issued
2012
Author(s)
Abstract
The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is able to survive in poultry products and could be carried into a country by air travelers. An assessment model was constructed to estimate the probability of the exotic viable HPAIV entering Taiwan from two neighboring areas through poultry products carried illegally by air passengers at Taiwan's main airports. The entrance risk was evaluated based on HPAIV-related factors (the prevalence and the incubation period of HPAIV; the manufacturing process of poultry products; and the distribution-storage-transportation factor event) and the passenger event. Distribution functions were adopted to simulate the probabilities of each HPAIV factor. The odds of passengers being intercepted with illegal poultry products were estimated by logistic regression. The Monte Carlo simulation established that the risk caused by HPAIV-related factors from area A was lower than area B, whereas the entrance risk by the passenger event from area A was similar to area B. Sensitivity analysis showed that the incubation period of HPAIV and the interception of passenger violations were major determinants. Although the result showed viable HPAIV was unlikely to enter Taiwan through meat illegally carried by air passengers, this low probability could be caused by incomplete animal disease data and modeling uncertainties. Considering the negative socioeconomic impacts of HPAIV outbreaks, strengthening airport quarantine measures is still necessary. This assessment provides a profile of HPAIV entrance risk through air travelers arriving from endemic areas and a feasible direction for quarantine and public health measures. ? 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.
Subjects
Air passenger; Highly pathogenic avian influenza; Illegal poultry products; Risk assessment
SDGs
Other Subjects
Air passengers; Animal disease; Assessment models; Avian influenza; Health measures; Incubation periods; Logistic regressions; Low probability; Manufacturing process; Modeling uncertainties; Monte Carlo Simulation; Poultry products; Socio-economic impacts; Crime; Logistics; Monte Carlo methods; Rating; Risk assessment; Uncertainty analysis; Vehicular tunnels; Viruses; Risks; air transportation; avian influenza; disease prevalence; disease transmission; health risk; meat; Monte Carlo analysis; poultry; probability; public health; quarantine; regression analysis; risk assessment; risk factor; sensitivity analysis; socioeconomic impact; survival; virus; aircraft; animal; article; avian influenza; aviation; computer simulation; disease transmission; epidemic; genetics; human; infection control; Influenza virus A H5N1; poultry; prevalence; public health; regression analysis; risk; risk assessment; statistical model; theoretical model; travel; virology; Aircraft; Animals; Aviation; Computer Simulation; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; Influenza in Birds; Models, Statistical; Models, Theoretical; Poultry; Prevalence; Public Health; Quarantine; Regression Analysis; Risk; Risk Assessment; Travel; Taiwan; Animalia; Aves; Avian influenza virus
Type
journal article