Wireless sensor system for detection of avian influenza outbreak farms at an early stage

We developed a prototype wearable wireless node with a thermister and an accelerometer for a chicken, and evaluated the availability of a method for detecting chickens infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses using data at the early stage. Chicken infection experiments by using the wireless node showed that weakness and fever of the infected chickens were detectable before chickens showed clinical signs and gross lesions, and death of infected chickens was noticed by the sudden decrease in body temperature. This study indicates a possibility that the wearable wireless node would be a useful tool for detecting the HPAI outbreaks at the farms, and sudden increase in fever, weakness and the death in a chicken house would be the early signal for the outbreaks.