On-farm Biosecurity Still Needs Enforcement

GLOBAL - With the upsurge in occurrences of Avian Influenza since 2014 in various parts of the world the discussion related to appropriate measures to containment has taken a new swing as well.
calendar icon 11 February 2016
clock icon 4 minute read

The World Organization for Animal Health (OiE) has recently reminded once again national veterinary services to implement the OiE recommended on-farm biosecurity measures amongst others.

Avian Influenza is often spread over long distances by wild birds who are generally a reservoir for the related pathogen.

However local spreading to farms and infection of humans is mostly related to insufficient biosecurity control and thus hygiene at the farm and on live poultry markets.

Several national veterinary services have shown that by tight control of biosecurity – as recommended by OiE - an outbreak could quickly and effectively be contained, preventing unnecessary spread of the virus and killing of birds.

Disinfectants such as Halamid® are extremely effective against the AI virus and with a simple protocol in place most spreading of infections can be prevented.

Moreover a quick containment is essential to limit the risk of mutation to a human infective strain.

Around the same time the International Poultry Council IPC has done a compelling request to national veterinary services to comply with the OiE recommendation.

All but too often national authorities close their borders for live poultry when the risk of an outbreak within their borders is increasing.

Such measures are no solution because even if such measure take away one vector for infection, the economic damage is high and moreover the local industry will still not be prepared for infection by other vectors, such as wild bird.

An outbreak can be devastating to a country’s poultry industry if farms are not prepared.

There is no excuse; biosecurity is not a complex matter at all. A simple standard protocol using the right disinfectant avoids most transmission of AI.

Quick and effective containment of Avian Influenza is possible while at the same time enjoying open trade-borders. National veterinary services who are closest to the local poultry growers have the obligation protecting the world population against disease outbreaks by educating local people working with live animals about something as simple as biosecurity.

Paul van Lenthe, Director at Axcentive SARL comments: “Yes, biosecurity is simple! In many countries we have seen that improvements in biosecurity on farm level are the remedy against AI.

"Our universal disinfectant Halamid® is one of many disinfectants and a very effective one in the combat against AI. In laboratory tests dilutions as low as 1:1000 have shown to kill the virus completely.

"Therefore veterinary authorities from many countries have officially approved Halamid® for use in poultry houses. It is in use, exactly for this purpose, in many countries around the world. The uniqueness of Halamid® is not only in its chemical composition, but above all in its ideal compromise between its killing activity of pathogens and its stability under widely varying conditions, including in the presence of organic matter.”

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