February 10, 2023 – The Biden administration will test a vaccine that could possibly be given to poultry to counter the present outbreak of avian influenza that has killed about 58 million birds, mostly in industrial poultry flocks.
This could be the primary vaccine given to poultry to guard against bird flu in years. Poultry are already vaccinated against diseases akin to infectious bronchitis, and vaccinations for previous outbreaks are approved.
“The decision to proceed with vaccination is complex, and many factors must be considered before implementing a vaccination strategy,” U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman Mike Stepien said in a press release. Stepien said the USDA is “seeking input from many different industry stakeholders who may be impacted.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported this week that 58 million birds, mostly commercially raised poultry, have died within the outbreak, either from the virus or because they were killed to forestall transmission inside the flock. Avian flu has been detected in wild birds in every state, and it has been detected in poultry flocks in 47 states, including 18 states up to now 30 days, in response to the USDA.
In addition to domestic poultry, bird flu has also been detected in mink in Spain, sea lions in Peru and now in a mountain lion in Colorado, a black bear and a skunk. TheDenverPost reported.
According to the CDC, the present outbreak of bird flu (HPAI A(H5)) began in January 2022, when the disease was first detected within the United States since 2016.
The tests are intended to assist determine whether the vaccines are effective against the present strain of bird flu. Authorities fear that the vaccination could harm American poultry exports.
“What is the trigger that you should vaccinate?” poultry veterinarian David Swayne, a former USDA official, told CBS News. “And that's what they're looking at. Are so many birds getting infected on a poultry farm in an area? Or is it some economic loss? Or is it because a neighboring state is getting the virus in poultry and you're concerned? So those are really the hard, hard questions.”
The outbreak of bird flu is one among the explanations for the rise in egg prices in supermarkets.
A person in Colorado who tested positive for bird flu is the one human case in the present outbreak, the CDC said. He recovered. Seasonal flu shots don’t prevent infection with bird flu, but they’ll reduce the prospect of getting each human and bird flu viruses at the identical time, the CDC said.