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control of Bird Flu Explored at World Congress 29 August 2012

ANALYSIS - Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have tended to be more severe and prolonged in less developed countries with a high poultry density, according to avian flu expert, Dr David Swayne. Stamping out is the best method for control but vaccination can be an effective tool, he said. Senior editor, Jackie Linden, reports on his presentation to the World Poultry Congress.

As predictors of the severity of outbreaks, he found that transmission occurred more easily and outbreaks were more prolonged in areas of high poultry population density in less developed countries.

 Looking at vaccine use over the period 2002 to 2010, more than 113 billion doses have been administered to poultry worldwide, with 25.7 million doses in 2010, according to Dr Swayne. Coverage averaged around 40 per cent, or 11 per cent of global production. The great majority of the vaccines were of the traditional inactivated whole virus type, with just 4.5 per cent of the recombinant type. Fourteen countries have now used vaccination, most notably China, Egypt, Indonesia and Viet Nam.