Chongmas AntarasenaRungtiva SirimujalinPorntip PrommuangNaruepol PromkuntodPraison PrommuangStuart D. BlacksellSouthern Veterinary Research and Development CenterMahidol UniversityChurchill Hospital2018-08-242018-08-242007-10-01Research in Veterinary Science. Vol.83, No.2 (2007), 279-281003452882-s2.0-34347250844https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/23974Here we describe the diagnostic utility of the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) during a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 virus in southern Thailand and demonstrate the usefulness of the cardiac tissue from infected chickens, quail, and ducks for diagnosis. The most reliable sample for IFA diagnosis of influenza A virus was cardiac tissue (83.0%; 44/53) which when divided by species (chicken, quail and duck cardiac tissues) gave respective positivity rates of 88% (22/25), 88.9% (16/18) and 60.0% (6/10). Cardiac tissue also gave the highest IFA intensity for the three species. We believe that the IFA method has wide applicability in developing countries or remote settings where clinically similar avian diseases with high morbidity and mortality such as Newcastle disease and fowl cholera are common and could be rapidly excluded thereby conserving valuable reference laboratory capacity for true HPAI outbreaks. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Mahidol UniversityAgricultural and Biological SciencesVeterinaryArticleSCOPUS10.1016/j.rvsc.2006.12.007