25/04/2026
CliMates Nepal , in collaboration with International Veterinary Students' Association Rampur - IVSA Rampur, successfully conducted a webinar on April 24, 2026, titled “Avian Influenza: Understanding Ecology, Assessing Risk and Strengthening Diagnosis.”
At a time when Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is rapidly expanding across regions and species, the session brought together urgency, scientific insight, and field relevance in a meaningful learning space.
The first session by Dr. Surendra Karki set the stage by linking avian influenza to the broader context of global pandemics. It highlighted the scale and impact of HPAI, including the loss of over 633 million poultry since 2005, its implications for food security and livelihoods, disruptions in the global poultry market, and significant public health concerns.
The discussion extended beyond statistics to explore viral evolution, multi-strain emergence, and its expanding host range. The increasing concern of spillover into mammals, including reported infections in cattle, emphasized that the disease is no longer limited to avian species.
A key strength of the session was its focus on ecology and climate. Migratory bird routes, seasonal outbreak patterns, and environmental drivers of disease transmission were discussed in detail. Insights into Nepal’s risk zones, along with district-wise and species-wise outbreak trends, made the session highly relevant to local contexts.
The second session by Dr. Nabaraj Shrestha focused on diagnostics and field application. It addressed practical challenges in identifying avian influenza, including clinical signs such as sudden mortality, respiratory distress, cyanosis, and edema, as well as postmortem findings and differential diagnosis. It also emphasized accurate and timely diagnosis through proper sample collection, swab handling, environmental sampling, pooling strategies, and rapid diagnostic tools highlighting that early detection is critical for effective outbreak control.
Together, both sessions provided a comprehensive learning experience, bridging global science with field-level practice and benefiting participants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.
More than just a webinar, it served as a reminder of the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health and the importance of awareness, science, and collaboration in addressing emerging health threats.
A sincere thank you to our esteemed speakers for their valuable insights, and to all participants for their active engagement. We also appreciate the efforts of CliMate Nepal and IVSA Rampur members for making this event a success.
What started as a concept has now become a meaningful initiative reflecting collective effort, shared learning, and real impact.
“Knowledge shared today becomes protection for tomorrow.”
