Avian flu vaccine trial begins in US

The United States government has begun trials of avian influenza vaccines in poultry following a record outbreak that killed more than 58 million chickens, turkeys and other birds.

The trial, led by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service , is the first step towards the possible first use of vaccines to protect US poultry against the deadly virus.

The USDA is testing 2 vaccines developed by the Agricultural Research Service, one each from Zoetis and one from Merck Animal HEALTH . Zoetis had previously shipped its vaccine to the USDA warehouse in 2016 following a major outbreak in the US a year earlier, but it was never used.

Initial data from a single-dose animal study is expected to be available in May, and researchers hope to conduct two-dose studies with results in June.

If the trials are successful and the USDA decides to continue development, it will take at least 18 to 24 months for a vaccine matching the current virus to become commercially available.

Impact on the poultry trade

One of the main stumbling blocks against vaccine use in the past has been the potential impact on trade. REUTERS reported that Greg Tyler, president of the U.S. Poultry and Egg EXPORT Council industry group, said the government needed to ensure that vaccinations did not disrupt trade with large buyers.

In a statement following a stakeholder roundtable of poultry industry leaders and government officials, Acting Under Secretary of State Kevin Shea said the situation on the ground looks better: “Thanks to joint government and industry partnerships and enhanced national animal disease preparedness capabilities. and response, we are successfully controlling this outbreak and mitigating its impact on U.S. poultry production and trade.”

Biosecurity and Surveillance

The lessons learned since the last major outbreak of HPAI are numerous and highlight the importance of biosecurity, enhanced surveillance and testing, and having staff on the ground to respond quickly to cases and prevent the spread of the disease.

The USDA also said it has made huge savings during the current outbreak - up nearly 50% from the previous outbreak - and is also working on regionalization agreements and keeping markets open with key trading partners.

The announcement of the vaccine follows France's decision to launch an order for 80 million doses of the vaccine for use in ducks in the fall if the test results are positive. France will be the first EU member state to adopt such a plan.