In the short term, hygiene appears to be the only weapon against avian flu outbreaks. Although this offers no guarantees.
It is already the the largest avian flu epidemic ever recorded in Europe. The grisly limit of 2,500 avian flu outbreaks is in sight. The Netherlands recorded 68 outbreaks up to 1 October. This figure is probably out of date. September has already had eighteen avian flu outbreaks; the highest number per month since the outbreak began on October 26, 2021. And the official season has just begun. Migratory birds are on their way again. There is almost no information about infections from Russia, perhaps even with new types of viruses.
Try three bird flu vaccines
No, it doesn’t sound optimistic. And in the short term, hygiene appears to be the only weapon. Although this offers no guarantees. Wageningen UR has a test with three vaccines. Three flocks of laying hens were vaccinated in August and infected a month later. The first results are expected in December. A one-year practical test will likely begin in January. And then there is the long road to registration.
High demands are placed on the vaccine. Above all, of course, it must be effective against the prevailing virus. Healthy vaccinated animals should also not be carriers of the virus. You also want to be able to distinguish between vaccinated and infected animals.
There is always something to be gained with hygiene
So hygiene. Although epidemiologists note that professional poultry farmers take this seriously, there is always something to be gained. Francisca Velkers of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine supports a company-specific biosecurity plan. This also includes the courtyard. Often it comes down to the details.
Role of the vents
Interesting is the role of the air intakes. The Utrecht faculty claims to have indications in this regard vents play a role in infections. We have to wait a little longer for the precise search results. The fact is, there are more bird flu outbreaks in foggy, windy or rainy weather. It suggests the virus is climbing onto other particles. For this reason, windbreak nets are also installed in some places.
It is still possible to run out in some parts of the Netherlands. With the bird migration season, there’s a good chance the whole country will be shut down again. This scenario goes against the aspiration of Hague politicians and citizens to offer animals more (outdoor) space.
