UK poultry to receive bird flu vaccination in major trial
UK launches targeted trials of bird flu vaccine in turkeys; This marked a remarkable shift in the approach to controlling a disease that has devastated herds and forced some countries to adopt similar techniques to reduce losses.
The widespread spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu, is a major concern for governments and the poultry industry.
The capacity to destroy herds, the capacity to inflate food prices, and the potential risk of a new epidemic are pressing issues.
Large poultry producers globally have largely resisted vaccination strategies out of fear that such measures could mask the spread of the virus and jeopardize export markets.
However, the UK trials, which are expected to last 24 weeks, aim to evaluate the effectiveness of approved vaccines in real-world conditions.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said it would also consider how oversight mechanisms could protect trade.
DEFRA estimates that bird flu outbreaks cost the British government and poultry industry up to £174 million a year.
Turkeys were chosen for trials because of their high susceptibility to the virus, and outbreaks often cause significant mortality.
France has been vaccinating farm ducks against bird flu since 2023, becoming the first major poultry exporter to do so nationwide. It improved the policy’s reputation for preventing disease.
The Netherlands and the USA are also conducting vaccine trials; The U.S. is evaluating how any vaccine use might affect poultry exports.
Late last year. Europe grappled with an unprecedented and early surge in bird flu, driven by widespread outbreaks in wild birds.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said highly pathogenic bird flu had already required the culling of hundreds of millions of farm birds, disrupted food supplies and soared prices, but human infections were rare.
While outbreaks usually peak with migration patterns in the fall, this season showed an earlier onset and caused severe mortality in wild bird populations.
Poultry outbreak numbers were similar to previous years but were five times those in 2023 and nearly double those in 2021. Those most affected were Türkiye.
