Bird flu poses little risk to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the United States Department of Agriculture has announced it will begin work on a vaccine for birds. Avian influenza (AI) is already responsible for the deaths of millions of heads of poultry across the nation.
The USDA was reluctant to allow farmers to vaccinate their own livestock of chickens and turkeys, as such a policy would trigger widespread bans on the meat by other nations. Such inoculations would produce antibodies in the birds which would make it difficult for importers to determine if a bird had contracted the disease, or just received an immunization. American farmers currently export around $5.7 billion worth of fowl and eggs each year.
"If we're in a situation where that's what it takes to protect the flocks and keep them healthy, that's what we're going to do," said Steve Olson, executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association.
The current outbreak of bird flu is the most severe seen in more than 30 years, striking birds in 12 states. The H5N2 form of the virus is highly contagious, quickly spreading through the crowded conditions present at most commercial farms.
Development of a bird flu vaccine for birds would likely take several months. One potential immunization, being developed by animal health company Harrisvaccines, may be ready for laboratory testing sometime in the second half of June. After a safe, effective drug is created and manufactured, it could be distributed to farms in areas of the country hardest-hit by the illness.
Officials from the USDA are reassuring the public that the American food supply is safe, despite the loss of vast numbers of birds to the disease.
"Food is safe because the United States has the strongest AI surveillance system in the world. We actively look for the disease, educate the public and producers on the most appropriate practices to ensure their health and safety, as well as provide compensation to affected producers to encourage disease reporting," the USDA reported on its Web site.
About 3.5 million birds around the United States have already been euthanized to prevent spread of the disease, and health officials in Iowa announced on April 20 that 5 million additional birds in that state will be eliminated following the detection of avian virus there.
Farms around the nation are also responding to the current bird flu epidemic by limiting the exposure of the birds to human beings. Visitors are being turned away, and workers are now subject to mandatory showers both before and after entering areas where the birds are located.
However, such precautions may not be enough to stop the outbreak, as manure from ducks, geese and other waterfowl flying overhead rains down on farms. A vaccine may turn out to be the last best hope to stop the virus.
Officials are asking those with backyard flocks to practice good biosecurity by preventing contact between their birds and wild birds and reporting sick birds or unusual bird deaths to state and federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA's toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593.
Learn more about biosecurity for backyard flocks here. More information about the USDA's avian influenza efforts can be found here.
Photo: Hans Splinter | Flickr
