The aim of this symposium co-organised by AIRD and CIRAD is to share research development on avian influenza between french research institutes. Preliminary results from two complementary research programmes will be presented:GRIPAVI funded by the French Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and ARDIGRIP programme funded by AIRD . Those research programmes are performed in collaboration with research teams from developing countries.

GRIPAVI programme , coordinated by CIRAD, develops research on epidemiologie, virologie and ecologie of avian influenza and Newcastle disease in domestic and wildbirds from 6 African and Asian countries (cf GRIPAVI webpage ).

ARDIGRIP programme focus on emerging conditions of avian influenza viruses and their impact on human and animal population. This programme is run in collaboration with 12 research teams from Africa and Asia. It's aim is to study sanitary risk managment, ecologie and modeling of avian influenza viruses and new human therapeutics and vaccinal approaches.

Objectives of the symposium are:

• to increase synergies between french research projects
• to come out with recommendations for future cooperation research programmes on zoonotic diseases

To reach the objectives, the symposium will be organised as two specific parts:

• First part: presentations of project and preliminary results according to 4 scientific modules (see symposium detailed programme)
• Second axe: following the presentations two workshops run in parallel on transversal subjects are planned: 1) conditions for emergence of influenza viruses ; 2) control strategies

link to the press release (french only)