By Tim Nelson
Tim Nelson
Founder and CIO, Farm Health Guardian
Tim has dedicated his career to livestock research. As the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) he strives to help livestock and poultry farmers prevent disease in their barns and provide response tools to disease outbreaks. With a focus on disease observation and prevention, Tim is dedicated to improving biosecurity across the globe, starting with the development of Farm Health Protect and Farm Health Monitor.
For poultry housed indoors, how likely is infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv) through aerosolized contaminated wild bird feces? Highly unlikely, say researchers. So unlikely in fact, they conclude that it’s likely to occur only once every 455 years.
A risk assessment model was developed to estimate the risk of infection to indoor housed poultry in the Netherlands during bird flu season. The researchers average their estimate of the risk across different farm types, virus strains and wild bird species. Based on their findings, they concluded that the risk of contamination via aerosolization of the virus from contaminated wild bird feces is very low.
Even in a worst-case scenario, the probability that HPAIv will be introduced via this method is still very low and can be expected only once every 17 years.
Translating this to everyday practices, this means that introduction of avian influenza is much more likely to happen due to fomites such as people or equipment, underscoring that biosecurity on farms is crucial to keep the virus out.
Farm worker and visitor biosecurity practices like barn dedicated clothing and footwear on entry are a necessity. The British Egg Industry Council has even instituted a requirement for all poultry barns to have a change of footwear to ‘indoor’ colour coded footwear when entering the biosecure area of the barn.
Additionally, accurate, complete records of trucks or people visiting the farm are key to knowing exactly who and what has been on the farm and inside the barn. Having this information is critical if disease is suspected and trace out activities need to be undertaken.
Introduction of avian influenza is much more likely to happen due to fomites such as people or equipment, underscoring that biosecurity on farms is crucial to keep the virus out.
With fall migration season for wild birds underway, poultry farmers in the US have been calling for a vaccine to help protect their flocks. The infection of dairy herds in 14 states and 13 dairy and poultry farm workers last year puts flocks in the $67 billion U.S. poultry industry at an even higher risk of infection.
A vaccine for widespread use in poultry isn’t on the horizon just yet. In part, this is because of potential export barriers that could result. Imports of vaccinated poultry are banned by many countries because of concerns that the vaccine can mask the virus. The USDA has conditionally approved an avian flu vaccine for poultry, but it is not yet authorized for widespread commercial use.
The absence of a vaccine and research pointing to introduction of HPAIv by people and equipment are two strong arguments for the diligent implementation of biosecurity.
Farm Health Guardian biosecurity breach alerts are proven to improve compliance and elevate biosecurity practices. Read more on our website.
