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Abstract
The control of avian influenza is most effectively approached from multiple angles. In this research, two aspects of the management of this disease were examined. The first objective was to establish a species-independent competitive ELISA for the detection of antibodies against hemagglutinin 6 (H6). Characterization of the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) developed toward this purpose revealed that all four mAbs were specific for linear epitopes within the esterase domain of H6. One of the mAbs was also found to be neutralizing. Another aim of the research was to evaluate the efficacy of metam-sodium as a disinfectant of poultry litter. The removal of pathogens which persist in litter is required for its safe disposal, yet few agents are able to effectively penetrate this porous material. It was found that the manufacturers recommended concentration was able to completely eliminate infectious avian influenza virus and infectious bursal disease virus from contaminated poultry litter.