UK Considering Vaccinating Whole Poultry Stock Against Bird Flu

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Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Veterinary;  Public Health;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 17 Feb 2006 - 16:00 PDT

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There are 150 million heads of farmed poultry in the UK - all of which may well be vaccinated soon, according to some sources. As the H5N1 spreads further into Western Europe, the European Union is urging governments to take stiff control measures.

Ornithologists say that a couple of spells of bad winter temperatures in Europe could drive infected wild birds towards the UK.

The UK poultry industry is worth £3 billion ($5.5 billion) a year. There are 20,000 poultry holders in the country - from huge farms to comparatively small holdings.

Vaccinating all poultry stocks is a controversial topic at the moment. Farmers are not convinced it would work. They wonder how complete the government's records are of poultry owners. A full scale vaccination programme would only really work if every single farmed bird were vaccinated.

The UK is separated from mainland Europe by a mere 26 miles of sea - a short trip for most birds. If more cold weather drives birds down from the Baltic sea into Belgium and northern France, they could then hop over the channel and land in the British Isles.

The British Poultry Council says mass vaccinations may not be the best solution. Immunity does not kick in until 4 to 5 weeks after vaccination. Another concern is about human contact with birds. If every head of poultry is vaccinated, this would mean handling every single one. Another problem is matching the right vaccine with the right virus strain.

So far, the UK government has not asked farmers to keep their poultry indoors - as has become the case in most parts of mainland Europe.

Free-range and organic chickens make up a large part of the UK's poultry stocks, when compared to other countries. Over the last ten years consumers have been switching over to free range and organic products in growing numbers.

Vaccinating the chickens would not alter their organic status. Bringing them indoors would definitely alter their free-range status.

In some parts of Europe, especially Italy, sales of chicken for human consumption have plummeted.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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