HEAL ▶▶▶TH
Decisive action against avian influenza
A large-scale outbreak of low pathogenic bird flu caused enormous damage in West Flanders, Belgium in 2019. Poultry veterinarian Maarten de Gussem discusses the lessons he believes can be drawn from this outbreak. Avian influenza should be tackled decisively, even low pathogenic strains.
BY FABIAN BROCKOTTER H
e describes the aftermath of the outbreak as “a se- rious hangover”, which can still be felt in large parts of the Belgian poultry industry. In total 82 poultry farms had to be cleared or had their ani-
mals voluntarily culled because of the low pathogenic H3N1 virus. It took months before official steps – with correspond- ing compensation – could be taken as the virus was classed as ‘low pathogenic’ with no mandatory procedures to stamp out the outbreak. With no mandatory containment or com- pensation for culled animals, gaining control of the virus was hindered. Some farmers took matters in their own hands and cleared houses, especially parent stock farms which were un- der contract to bigger players. However, some non-integrated farmers decided to give the birds the chance to overcome the virus. When that failed, with the birds shedding the virus to the environment in the meantime, they decided to slaughter them. Some say, supported by statistics, that this led to the further spread of the virus. The spread could be tracked along the main truck routes from the infected farms to the processing facility.
Pathogenicity Only bird flu virus of the H5 or H7 subtypes are notifiable. The main problem in getting the government to take coordinated action is the definition provided by the world animal health organisation OIE of which variants are subject to avian influ- enza notification and control. Based on its rules, only avian influenza viruses of the H5 or H7 subtype and all highly path- ogenic AI viruses are currently subject to reporting require- ments. A virus is classed as highly pathogenic if its patho- genicity is 1.2 or higher. This was not the case with the
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Belgian H3N1 virus. However, there was some debate. The pathogenicity test is done – according to protocol – in young chicks, while this virus caused a great many problems and in- creased mortality in older hens (see box). With the H3N1 classed as non-notifiable, farms could not be reimbursed even if they volunteered to have animals culled to contain the virus. It took months of negotiation between the sector, the Belgian government and the European Union to get some sort of aid package approved to help the poultry sector climb out of the crisis.
OIE definitions still unchanged Lessons can be learned from the outbreak, says Belgian poul- try veterinarian Maarten de Gussem (Degudap/Vetworks). These lessons are relevant not only for Belgium but for other countries too, as the OIE definitions are still unchanged and a similar situation could arise again anywhere. De Gussem ex- pressed his concerns. “The OIE definition is by no means an accurate one. I place the ‘L’ in LPAI in quotation marks because it was certainly not a ‘low’ pathogenic virus that wreaked hav- oc in Belgium. But if you ask the OIE for an amendment of the definition, they say ‘it doesn’t work like that, it takes time’.
Veterinarian Maarten de Gussem states that avian influ- enza is diag- nosed using out- dated tests and methods.
PHOTO: INGE VERMEULEN
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