Simulation study on the wireless sensor-based monitoring system for rapid identification of avian influenza outbreaks at chicken farms

A wireless sensor network may be a new group monitoring system for chicken health because huge numbers of chickens were reared in the same physical constitution at the farms. Although a lot of health monitoring system using sensor network have been developed for animals, there is few researches of the monitoring system for a huge number, such as 0.1 billion, of creatures. In this research, we have evaluated availability of the avian influenza monitoring system with a sensor network by a simulation of spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in a chicken house. The simulation study was based on a transmission experiment of HPAI viruses to chickens. This study showed that the avian influenza outbreaks would be detected 2 days earlier when 5% of chickens are attached with the sensors than the current patrol system by farm workers.