This paper reviews the (predominantly grey) literature on impacts of highly pathogenic avian
influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1 and control responses on the livestock sector and associated
industries in developing countries. The authors distinguish between impacts that arise directly
through HPAI-related morbidity and mortality, those that are a consequence of public intervention
to control or eradicate HPAI, and impacts that are mediated through market reactions. The paper
further considers how these impacts propagate up- and downstream through related supply and
distribution networks, how short-term reactions are followed by longer-term adjustments, how
impacts include direct cost elements and foregone income, and why losses to the poultry sector
will, at least to some extent, be ‘passed on’ on the one hand, for example through compensation,
and, on the other hand, be compensated for by gains in other livestock subsectors. Differences in
methodology applied in the reviewed reports result in a lack of comparability of estimates for
HPAI ‘costs/impacts’ across countries and even within countries and are compounded by information
deficits. Despite these shortcomings, the literature permits some significant conclusions to
be drawn on the relative importance of direct and indirect impacts and on their distribution across
different types of poultry producers. The paper ends by outlining directions of future research
that combine epidemiology and economics to provide a framework for disease control decisionmaking.