We answer the most important questions with Thijs Kuiken, professor of comparative pathology at Erasmus University.
1. How do you recognize a bird with bird flu?
The virus that is now circulating mainly multiplies in the brain. Birds twist their necks. They can no longer fly, often fall over and make circles walking or swimming.
In the tweet below you see a bird with bird flu:
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2. Which variant is going around now and why is it so dangerous?
“A variant of the H5 subtype is now circulating. This variant originated about 25 years ago in poultry in China. The variant has been around for a few years. But the special thing is that this variant has been transferred to wild birds. Migratory birds come to winter in Europe and spread it. Because the virus is now spreading in wild birds, you have hardly any control over it.”
There is a good chance that we will have to deal with virus outbreaks and pandemics more often in the future. Our own factory farms are even a perfect breeding ground for viruses. In the video below you can see why:
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3. Is this virus also dangerous for humans?
“It can be dangerous for people. About 60 people have been infected with this variant of the virus, almost half of whom have died. That happened in China and Laos. In Europe, the risk is much lower because we do not have close contact.” have with poultry.”
“But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Europe has increased the risk rating for people who handle poultry professionally from low to low-average.”
4. Why does culling work less well with this variant?
“About thirty years ago, the virus was much less common. Measures that were taken at the time – culling – made it possible to banish the virus. But now there is much more poultry, which means the virus is spreading quickly. In Gelderland, Limburg and Noord In Brabant there are poultry densities that are 18 times higher than the European average.”
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“As a result, in combination with the wild birds that carry the virus, culling is no longer possible. The virus is constantly present in the environment. Hermetically closing poultry houses from the environment is practically impossible. Once the virus has reached the house, it in 90 to 100 percent to the death of all chickens or turkeys.”
5. Why don’t we vaccinate chickens against bird flu?
“Preventive vaccination is a good idea, but Europe has not opted for it. In countries outside Europe there is preventive vaccination against this virus, such as in China and Egypt. Europe has made decisions about the virus before when highly pathogenic bird flu was not so common. was often present. Then you only had extra costs due to vaccination.”
“In addition, 70 percent of the poultry production is exported abroad, mainly to Great Britain and Germany. They were against vaccination. But those countries now face the same problem, so I assume that they now view vaccination differently. “
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6. What long-term measures could work?
“Vaccination is a temporary measure. In order to prevent future bird flu variants and other viruses, the sector must be structured differently. My advice would be to reduce the poultry stock, especially in the concentration areas. It is smart to have fewer chickens per farm and the companies less close to each other.”
“In addition, it is wise to exclude poultry farms in areas with many waterfowl, because you cannot hermetically close chicken houses from the environment. With regard to this virus, it is not only necessary to look at the health of chickens, but also that of people living in the vicinity of the birds. These houses live in. But the main thing is fewer chickens per farm and fewer farms together, then the risk of spread is reduced.”
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