Poster # 230

High Risk Practices in the Production and Marketing of Muscovy Ducks for
Transmission of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Indonesia

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Rebecca Foelber1, Robyn Alders1, Stacie Dunkle1, Widagdo Sri Nugroho2

1

International Veterinary Medicine Section, Department of Environmental and Population Health, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
2 Fakultas Kedokteran Hewan, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Fauna 2, Karangmalang, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281

ABSTRACT

RESULTS

In Western Java, Indonesia, Muscovy ducks have been implicated as a high risk factor for environmental contamination with highly
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in live birds markets. This cross-sectional descriptive study examined the production and
marketing systems of Muscovy ducks through 30 semi-structured interviews with farmers and 20 interviews with vendors and
collectors at live bird markets in Yogyakarta Province in Java. All market vendors and collectors who were interviewed traded
multiple species of birds, but one vendor sold Muscovy ducks almost exclusively.
Most farmers did not see a significant benefit in raising Muscovy ducks, but rather regarded it as a hobby. Sixty three percent (63%)
of farmers used a semi-intensive production system, in which the birds were housed at night but kept outside during the day and fed
mostly dried rice. Sixty seven percent (67%) of farmers raised Muscovy ducks with other animals, typically chickens and ducks but
also cattle and other birds. As with most backyard poultry, veterinary care was not routinely provided for Muscovy ducks. Though
multiple sub-districts offered free vaccination and disinfection services to farmers, few farmers accepted both of these services.
Forty percent (40%) of farmers vaccinated their Muscovy ducks against HPAI. Only 60% of farmers regularly cleaned the
enclosures and surrounding areas for the Muscovy ducks, and inadequate cleaning practices were identified. Because the HPAI virus
can be spread via fomites, recommendations for proper hygiene can decrease the prevalence of HPAI in the environment and should
be promoted by local animal health centers.

Waterfowl have been implicated as reservoirs of highly

pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Throughout Southeast
Asia, studies on domestic waterfowl have mostly focused
on Pekin ducks (Anas domesticus) and Indian Runner
ducks (Anas platyrynchos), while little is known about
Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata).

This study examined Muscovy ducks in their potential

role as HPAI virus reservoirs,, taking note of any
practices in villages or markets that might be contributing
to environmental contamination and transmission to other
animals.

All market vendors and collectors traded multiple species of birds; Muscovy ducks
were typically the minority, all ages sold
Most vendors agreed that trading Muscovy ducks was just as difficult as trading
other birds (chickens, ducks), even though Muscovy ducks are rarer and not usually
part of the regular diet of Indonesians
One observation that Muscovy ducks appeared to be more resistant to disease
Prices increased with greater demand during the holidays, especially the Muslim
holiday Lebaran and Indonesian Independence Day (August 17th); other special
occasions included special holidays and parties; at the beginning of each month
(more available income)
Prices decreased during the rainy season, for unspecified reasons

Determination of production type

based on housing:
- Feed provided in all farms;
- No medical care
Intensive (27%): always caged
Semi-Intensive (63%): kept in
shelter only at night
Extensive (10%): never in shelter

METHODS
Cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted using semistructured interviews with farmers, poultry collectors, and
market vendors who were involved in the production and selling
of Muscovy ducks
Qualitative design with interview question checklist
Location: Sleman and Bantul districts within Yogyakarta
province in Central Java
Two phases:
Selling of Muscovy ducks at live bird markets
Husbandry of these birds at the village level
50 interviews total:
20 interviews of market vendors and collectors
30 interviews of farmers
Performed in cooperation with the veterinary school at
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) located in the city of
Yogyakarta

Since Muscovy ducks do not always show signs of clinical disease and farmers
may only associate avian influenza with chickens, it can be difficult to
convince farmers and vendors of the need for biosecurity measures with
Muscovy ducks. Small scale farmers who do not have a lot of money invested
in their backyard poultry may have little incentive to learn about animal health
issues. Additionally, market vendors and collectors, who handle many birds on
a daily basis, may only be concerned with the outward appearance.
Recommendations
Because the HPAI H5N1 virus can be spread via fomites, it is important for
veterinarians and animal health volunteer teams to take measures to ensure
they adequately clean and disinfect all equipment and avoid spreading the
virus to many backyard poultry flocks.

Villages
Most farmers considered raising Muscovy ducks a hobby with no significant
benefit; ducks served as a form of life savings
Primarily raised for meat, sometimes breeding purposes and eggs
Males tended to grow faster than females on the same maintenance diet and were
always sold for a higher price; some farmers avoided selling females for meat,
instead keeping them to be brooders
17% farmers stopped raising chickens because either the entire flock died or
chickens determined to be too susceptible to illness

INTRODUCTION

Study by World Health Organization (WHO) and Food

and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations:
Muscovy ducks are high risk factor for environmental
contamination of live bird markets with HPAI H5N1
Other risk factors: highly populated markets with more
than 200 birds, and close proximity of the slaughter zone
with the common marketing area
Muscovy ducks were reported to be relatively more
important in terms of HPAI infection than ducks,
chickens, or pigeons.

Markets

CONCLUSION

Routine veterinary care not provided for backyard poultry, but vaccination and free
disinfectants were offered by the government in both Sleman and Bantul Districts
Many farmers did not accept vaccines because no history of prior clinical illness
Others did not know that vaccines and disinfectants were available
For all villages, 40% of farmers (12) vaccinated their Muscovy ducks; of these,
only four knew the specific disease HPAI H1N1
40% of farmers (12) used disinfectants no clear correlation with use of vaccines
- 60% of farmers (18) used discarded laundry water to clean animal enclosures

Live bird markets should have measures in place to control environmental

contamination with animal diseases. The bamboo baskets used by collectors
and vendors to transport and display birds for sale should be cleaned regularly.
Slaughtering Muscovy ducks at the market only, and not at the vendors
homes, can also reduce environmental contamination.
Future Research
Future studies should be aimed at attempting to isolate the HPAI H5N1 virus
from all types of backyard poultry after recommendations are given to improve
biosecurity and limit the spread of HPAI among different bird populations.
Monitoring the infection rate of these birds, will help to assess the
effectiveness of certain preventive practices in areas of poultry production and
marketing.

REFERENCES
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors offer many thanks to the FAO office based in Jakarta and the
Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (CMU) for supporting this project. This
study was supported, in part, by a training grant from US Army Medical
Command (W81XWH-06-1-0640).