INTERVIEW ▶▶▶ Professor Hans Nauwynck
“Veterinary virology is ahead in tackling viruses”
The approach to viruses in animal husbandry is better than the approach in human medicine. Human virology can learn a lot from that, says veterinary virologist Prof Hans Nauwynck.
BY HANS SIEMES, CORRESPONDENT C
ovid-19 has put the spotlight on virology. One virus ex- pert after another appears on television programmes, almost all of them authorities in the field of human viruses. The experience gained in tackling viruses in
livestock and pets is hardly discussed, even though there is a lot to be gained here, says scientist Prof Hans Nauwynck. “The successful way the veterinary world keeps viruses under control is an example for human virology. If the Covid-19 virus had only struck in pig farming, it probably would not have spread as fast as it does now in humans.” Prof Nauwynck has another message. He is extremely annoyed by the allegation that modern livestock farming is the cause of all pandemics and must therefore be curbed or eliminated. “Celebrities, politicians, writers and journalists just shout. Mostly nonsense. They have heard the bell tolling, but they do not know where the clapper is. It is true that a virus can circulate in a barn with many animals, but you can tackle it in that one barn with the necessary biosecurity measures. Blaming all the diseases in the world on livestock farming is nonsense. It is also correct that viruses can transfer from animals to humans, but that mainly concerns wild animals. Intensive livestock farming, which also falls victim to many virus introductions from the wild, is doing everything it can to prevent and control these types of infections.”
Then what about minks? Hans Nauwynck: “Remarkable. Minks proved to be excellent hosts for Covid-19. They were infected by humans and not the other way around. The animals were culled because they were a danger to humans due to the formation of new variants. Mink farming fell
victim to Covid-19 in humans. This was never properly communi- cated. From an ethical point of view, it made sense to stop these mink farms.”
What does that complete control consist of? “Biosecurity in intensive livestock farming has become a com- pletely logical system. Mind you, this does not concern hobby farmers, who can introduce a lot of problems. Consider, for exam- ple, avian influenza. But in order to enter a barn on an intensive pig farm, you must go through hygiene locks. Filters on the ven- tilation block everything. Livestock farms are highly isolated from the outside world. “In addition, there is a well-connected identification and regis- tration (I&R) system: every animal, every farm, every transport has a number, with which they can be traced. It is completely controlled. Transport of an animal is rare and when it is trans- ported, you must comply with all kinds of rules. It is all set up in such a way that we try to keep viruses out. You cannot say the same about humans. Only the I&R (passport, tickets) works. The rest (travel, contacts) much less so. In fact, it stops there. Humans travel freely around the world. In this way, we spread viruses all over the world in no time, which Covid-19 now shows. “With livestock, the virus would never have circulated so quickly. Mass travel is not done. If a person wants to catch a flight, they should first check their health and make sure they are virus-free. Ill and virus-shedding people should not fly. Flying is not only an ecological but also a sanitary problem. Aimless human travel makes the world one big barn in which a virus has free rein. The question is, who has the courage to discuss this at the highest level of public health? Blaming livestock farming happens fast; discussing hot topics in humans is often postponed. After all, animals have no voting rights.”
▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 10, 2021 19
PHOTOS: ATELIER68
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