Avian influenza surveillance system in poultry farms using wireless sensor network

We evaluate an availability of a method for detecting chickens infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses at the early stage in poultry farms using a wireless sensor node with temperature sensor and accelerometer. Chicken infection experiments by using the developed prototype wireless sensor node showed that weakness and fever of the infected chickens would be the early signal for the outbreaks. We propose a detection method using body temperature and 1-axis acceleration data at an early stage in consideration for construction of wireless sensor node. The result of the simulation using the infection experiment indicates that the infection can be detected before more than about 6 hours of the death. We also design a wireless sensor node with small button battery which works continuously for period of longer than 2 years without battery replacement, and demonstrate the basic operation. This study indicates a possibility that the wearable wireless sensor node would be a useful tool for detecting the HPAI outbreaks at the farms.