Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Britain has begun targeted bird flu vaccine trials in turkeys, the Government has said. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a concern for governments and the poultry industry due to the devastation it can cause to flocks, its impact on food prices and a risk of a new pandemic.
“New trials will explore the potential for the latest vaccines to protect birds, focusing on turkeys only in England, providing valuable insight into how well vaccines work in the field, how surveillance can be managed to retain trade and how vaccines can help manage the disease.
“The scale of avian influenza outbreaks in the UK and Europe within the last few years has been unprecedented, causing devastation for bird keepers on the frontline and the poultry sector. Annual outbreaks cost the UK Government and industry up to £174m each year.
The disease has significantly impacted both captive and wild birds globally since 2020, the Government statement said. The UK trials, expected to span 24 weeks, aim to assess the effectiveness of authorised vaccines in field conditions and evaluate how surveillance mechanisms can protect trade, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Turkeys were selected for the trials due to their high susceptibility to the virus, with outbreaks often causing significant mortality rates. France has been vaccinating farm ducks against bird flu since 2023, making it the first major poultry exporter to do so nationwide. It has credited the policy with curbing the disease.
