Veranda boosts vaccine egg production in Japan - THE NETHERLANDS - Because of the threat of a pandemic flu, possibly from avian influenza, authorities world wide are increasing their stocks of flu vaccine. Today’s flu vaccines are developed in fertile chicken eggs. The eggshell is cracked, and the influenza virus is injected into the fluid surrounding the embryo.

The egg is resealed, the embryo becomes infected, and the resulting virus is then harvested, purified and used to produce the vaccine. Because of the large demand of flu vaccines, there is a shortage of vaccine eggs and production of these eggs should increase.

Companies in vaccine producing countries are expanding their production facilities. In February, Dutch Poultry equipment manufacturer, Vencomatic, has sold another 13 Veranda houses in Japan for this vaccine egg production. These 13 houses, will accommodate 220.000 females together with an appropriate percentage of males. The Veranda system is a group housing system in which male and female birds are housed in groups of approximately 100 birds. The Japanese projects need to be installed before the end of June 2006, as there is such great pressure to increase vaccine egg production.

Worldwide, large numbers of vaccine egg producing birds are housed on the Vencomatic Veranda system. A number of houses, in Japan, have also been installed with the Vencomatic Classic nest system for volumes of around 100.000 females. These houses should also be ready for vaccine egg production before the end of June 2006.

The Vencomatic Classic nest is often used for vaccine egg production because of the clean, hygienic eggs this system produces. The Vencomat nest flooring, used in this nest, is tipped closed every day, sloughing off dirt and, furthermore, because of the unique design of the Vencomat , contact between the egg and the mat is minimized , preventing dirt and feathers from sticking to the egg.

ThePoultrySite News Desk - 23rd March 2006