Guiding Principles were developed:
- During the FAO Expert Meeting (21-23 July)
- Under recognized constraints and areas of uncertainty
    + differences in biosecurity & risk between farming systems/compartments
    + different trade patterns, practices and cultural approach
    + varying surveillance & laboratory capacity
    + differences in approach for countries where infection is endemic compared
        with those that are free or stamping out a limited incursion.

Guiding Principles for HPAI Surveillance and Diagnostic Networks in Asia:
- Introduction and Background
- Objectives of Surveillance & Diagnostic networks
- Minimum requirements for Surveillance systems
- Annexes:
    + surveillance methods;
    + diagnostics procedures and networks;
    + information systems

Surveillance (and control) strategies should be adjusted to take into account the different levels of biosecurity in farming sectors and the different levels of challenge:
    + Poultry production sectors can be described according to production and
        marketing systems.

Poultry production sector
- Industrial integrated system with high level biosecurity and birds/products marketed commercially
- Commercial non-integrated poultry production system; moderate to high biosecurity; birds and products marketed commercially
- Commercial poultry production system; minimum biosecurity; birds/products in live bird markets
- Village or back yard production --- no biosecurity, informal marketing system

Surveillance Strategies must be refined to meet the priorities of each country.
- To detect clinical disease and infection
- To understand epidemiology as well as economic impact to plan for effective control program
- To help define and control risks to public health
- To monitor for antigenic drift and help understand the evolution of AI viruses
- To maintain the viability of poultry production
- To demonstrate freedom from disease and infection in order to facilitate trade
- To assess the efficacy of vaccination where used

Effective Surveillance: minimum requirements
- HPAI is notifiable (legal requirement)
- System for detecting and investigating outbreaks of disease
    + in accordance with OIE guidelines
- Capability to diagnose HPAI
- Information systems
- Participation in the regional surveillance and diagnostic network
    + including the public health sector

1. Minimum requirements for detection of disease

Countries/compartments free from disease at high risk of infection practising vaccination
- Monitoring for vaccine efficacy
- Detecting infection in vaccinated flocks
    + Sector 1 & 2: Sentinel birds
    + Sector 3: Daily mortality exceeds 1% for 2 days
    + Sector 4: Daily mortality exceeds 5% for 2 days
- Serological tests to differentiate vaccinated from infected animals

4. Surveillance in infected countries/compartments
Infected countries/compartments not practising vaccination
- Targeted surveillance at high risk areas including
    + Domestic waterfowls
        - Serological testing
        - Virus isolation
    + Dead wild birds
        - Investigation of unusual mortality and cloacal swab
    + Live bird markets
        - Routine collection
        - Dead birds
        - Cage swabs
    + Sector 4: pilot studies using sentinel villages

Endemically infected countries/compartments practising vaccination
- Monitoring for vaccine efficacy: serology
- Detecting infection in vaccinated flock
- Targeted surveillance at high risk areas including
    + Domestic waterfowls
    + Dead wild birds
    + Live bird markets
    + Sector 4: pilot studies using sentinel villages

1. Diagnostic Procedures
- Initial Screening Tests
    + Rapid direct antigen tests
    + Immunofluorescence tests
- Confirmatory Tests
    + Virus isolation
    + Gene sequence detection
- Procedures for characterisation of isolates
    + Haemagglutinin typing
    + Neuranimidase typing
    + Gene sequence detection and analysis
    + Live bird challenges
        - Intraveneous pathogenicity index (IVPI) to classify HPAI VS LPAI

2. Serological assays
- To detect
    + Circulation of virus
    + Antibody responses to vaccination
- Haemagglutination Inhibition Test
- Agar Gel Immunodiffusion Test
- Competitive ELISA Using Group Antigen
- DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) System
    + Antibody detection using immunofluorescence
    + Antibody detection using inhibition of neuraminidase

3. Establishment of Laboratory Networks
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
    + Technical aspects of diagnostic testing (OIE Manual)
    + Safety procedures for operators at different levels (WHO guidelines)
        - Virus isolation can be carried out at BSL2 but handling of H5 virus should follow
            enhanced safety practices recommended by WHO
    + Contamination control measures for laboratories providing molecular diagnostic services
- Flow of samples in a laboratory network
    + Sub-National Laboratory
    + National Laboratory
    + Regional Network Laboratory
    + OIE/FAO Reference Laboratory
- Quality assurance and proficiency testing
- Safe transport and handling specimens

Short term:
- Implementation of FAO sub-regional TCPs
    SE Asia, East Asia and South Asia

Medium - Long term:
- According to lessons learned from SEAFMD campaign, in the future the Regional Networks for Avian Influenza can be coordinated and implemented under:
    Regional initiatives, For example, ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Livestock (ASWGL)
    GF-TADs initiative