Project
Vaccinatie van pluimvee tegen het HPAI H5 vogelgriepvirus
Currently, Europe is struggling with the largest bird flu outbreak ever, and more than 60 poultry farms in the Netherlands have already been infected. As in previous years, bird flu was introduced into the Netherlands by wild migratory birds, and this is likely to happen again in coming years. From breeding grounds in Siberia, migrating waterfowl arrive annually, bringing with them the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus subtype H5.
This year, for the first time, the virus also continued to circulate in wild birds in the Netherlands during the summer, creating a new situation in which the avian influenza virus is present throughout the year. From the wild bird population, commercially kept poultry is infected.
In addition, spread can occur between poultry farms. HPAI H5 viruses are notifiable and infected poultry flocks must be culled according to European regulations. However, culling infected farms does not seem to be a sustainable solution to combat bird flu in the longer term. Vaccination may offer a solution, but at present no vaccines have been registered for use in Europe against the current HPAI H5 avian influenza virus.
This PPS investigates whether newly developed vaccines or vaccines available outside the EU are suitable for use in the poultry sector in the Netherlands.