WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HPAI H5N1?
As H5N1 continues to spread, there is need for responses to be calm, balanced, prompt and effective. A broad range of measures is needed. The role of wild birds must be seen in the much larger context of the global poultry industry and the movements of huge quantities of poultry products around the world. Focusing attention on migrating wild birds alone is misplaced, and a potentially dangerous diversion of energy, effort and resources. BirdLife believes that the measures needed include: Heightened surveillance of migratory wild birds, with collection of as much ecological information as possible in the case of confirmed outbreaks • Improved biosecurity at all levels within the poultry industry • Tight controls, backed up by better enforcement, on the movements of poultry products, including fertiliser and feed made from poultry waste • A continued moratorium on trade in wild birds originating from affected regions • Full collaboration and sharing of information among those with releva
The current focus on migrating wild birds is misplaced and a potentially dangerous diversion of energy, effort and resources. Attempts to cull wild birds are even more misguided—the target is wrong and the approach is completely ineffective. Rather, preventive measures need to concentrate on better bio-security—surveillance and testing of poultry, controlling the movements and sale of poultry, poultry products and cage birds, ensuring that all poultry manure used in aquaculture and agriculture is properly treated prior to application, and stepping up national and international efforts to control the illegal trade in poultry, poultry products and wild birds. Some countries are now vaccinating their poultry flocks. Research has shown that vaccines can reduce the infectiousness of chickens with avian flu and the susceptibility of healthy birds to the virus. However, there are no international standards for the minimum amount of antigen contained in poultry vaccines. Birds immunised with p
As H5N1 continues to spread, there is need for responses to be calm, balanced, prompt and effective. A broad range of measures is needed. The role of wild birds must be seen in the much larger context of the global poultry industry and the movements of huge quantities of poultry products around the world. Focusing attention on migrating wild birds alone is misplaced, and a potentially dangerous diversion of energy, effort and resources.
