Avian influenza: a global threat to all
Researchers in the Netherlands are at the forefront of trials of an avian influenza vaccine. Considerable effort has gone into vaccinating test groups without jeopardising the export status of poultry products. After all, vaccinating against avian influenza is widely considered taboo when it comes to trading poultry products across borders.
To this day, that remains the biggest hurdle for vaccination – not the approval of the vaccine or its effectiveness, which is still under investigation. Anyone seeking to safeguard their own market or export opportunities has 2 means to outcompete rivals: either an outbreak of avian influenza in a competing export nation, which can bring trade to a standstill, or vaccination, with critics arguing that viruses might lie dormant or that no distinction can be made between sick and vaccinated animals.
Avian influenza continues to cause damage
Although there is still a way to go before avian influenza vaccines can be widely deployed, the leading argument against vaccination is steadily losing ground. Europe has assessed the safety of the vaccines, and the interim results of the vaccine trials are more than promising in terms of protection and containment. Equally important is the fact that avian influenza continues to inflict damage. Currently, the situation in the Netherlands has been downgraded by expert teams from high to moderately high, and the current conditions in the Netherlands and neighbouring countries is described as ‘calm’.
Brazil faces trade restrictions
Meanwhile, panic has broken out in Brazil because the first outbreak on a commercial poultry farm has been confirmed, along with 2 further suspicions in the vicinity and several infections in wild birds. This is significant as Brazil is the world’s largest poultry meat exporter, and the consequences are enormous – both at farm level, where 17,000 broiler breeder animals were affected with mortality rates between 80% and 100%, and at trade level.
According to the Brazilian industry association ABPA, in 2024, as much as 5.294 million tonnes of chicken meat were exported, generating revenue in excess of 9.9 billion dollars. Immediately following the outbreak, both China and the European Union imposed trade restrictions and have temporarily banned the import of Brazilian chicken. China has stipulated a period of 60 days for this measure.
A wake-up call for avian influenza vaccination
The current outbreak demonstrates that no country is immune to avian influenza and its devastating consequences for both animals and trade. For a long time, Latin America was free from bird flu and officials were able to maintain a dignified stance and downplay the need for avian influenza vaccination. However, the current outbreak demonstrates that no one is exempt from avian influenza and its destructive impact on both animals and commerce. While this realisation is painful, it may ultimately compel those countries harbouring reservations about vaccination into taking decisive action.
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